79: Chapter 79 Paper Dolls as Substitutes, Ye Hongyu's Obstruction

Facing a surprise attack of this level, Lu Yuan couldn't care less about Su Qinghan on the ground.

He let out a roar, driving the Qi Condensation 12th Layer spiritual power within his body to the absolute limit.

"Wind Sweeps the Clouds! Die!"

Lu Yuan gripped his sword with both hands and slashed out fiercely, a terrifying tornado-like Sword Qi several zhang long, condensed from materialized wind-type spiritual power, fiercely chopping toward that dark figure!

Bang!

The violent Sword Qi struck the dark figure without any suspense.

Although the aura of the scapegoat paper doll was terrifying, it was ultimately just a lifeless object. Under the full-strength strike of a Qi Condensation 12th Layer expert, it directly shattered into pieces, exploding into a clump of black debris!

"Utterly vulnerable! So it was just a pretentiously spooky Puppet!"

Seeing the dark figure shatter, Lu Yuan instantly breathed a sigh of relief, a ferocious sneer reappearing on his face.

But the smile on his face lasted for only half a breath before it completely froze.

The moment the paper doll shattered, a large mass of ice-blue powder suddenly dispersed in mid-air like exploding fireworks!

This was by no means ordinary debris, but rather the high-concentration Frost Absolute Shadow poisonous powder that Qi Yang had wrapped inside the paper doll in advance!

Stirred by the wind-type Sword Qi, the poisonous powder shrouded a space of ten zhang in radius.

"Not good! It's poisonous!"

Lu Yuan's expression changed drastically. He immediately held his breath and tried to prop up his Protective Aura.

However, Frost Absolute Shadow was colorless and odorless, and the extremely cold toxic force directly invaded his pores.

Lu Yuan only felt a sudden stagnation in his Meridians, and the spiritual power that had originally been as obedient as his own fingers actually experienced a half-breath pause at this moment!

For a Qi Condensation 12th Layer expert, a half-breath pause usually amounted to nothing, but in a life-and-death battle, this was a fatal flaw!

Right at this split second when Lu Yuan's old strength had been exhausted and his new strength had yet to be born, and his perception was briefly obscured by the poisonous powder!

Ten zhang deep underground, Qi Yang's true body, which had been dormant for a long time, moved!

He frantically compressed fully half of the liquid Poison Wood Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea into the fingertip of his right index finger.

This power was far too massive; the skin and flesh on Qi Yang's finger split open, dripping with blood, but he didn't even frown.

"Earth Escape! Kill!"

Qi Yang transformed into a yellowish stream of light, bursting straight out of the ground behind Lu Yuan!

He didn't make a sound, raising his hand to flick his finger!

Swish!

An ink-black, viscous, and seemingly substantial liquid toxic arrow shot straight toward Lu Yuan's back!

The moment Lu Yuan's Protective Aura made contact with the liquid toxic arrow, it was melted through without any hindrance!

"Ugh..."

Lu Yuan's eyes bulged abruptly, and an incredulous rattling sound came from his throat.

The liquid toxic arrow pierced into his back with absolute precision, running straight through his heart!

At this moment, the extreme cold and deadly poison erupted violently, freezing the remaining spiritual power and vitality within his body!

A dignified Qi Condensation 12th Layer expert and the top elite of the Qingyu Sect was thus frozen in place, turning into a helpless live target.

Not far away, although Su Qinghan did not know who had struck from the shadows, her battle intuition as a Prodigy was acute to the extreme.

She did not let slip this fleeting, superb opportunity!

"Kill!"

Su Qinghan let out a clear, melodious cry, forcibly squeezing out her very last drop of potential.

She and the longsword in her hand merged into one, transforming into a dazzling, moon-white sword light that slashed through the gloom of the Death Valley.

Puchi!

The sword light swept past, and a fine head soared into the sky!

Lu Yuan's headless corpse sprayed poisonous blood and crashed heavily to the ground.

In those eyes that refused to close in death, fear toward that liquid toxic arrow lingered until his dying breath.

"Senior Brother Lu is dead!"

"Flee quickly!"

With Lu Yuan dead, the remaining seven elites of the Qingyu Sect were frightened out of their wits.

Even their team-leading Senior Brother at the Qi Condensation 12th Layer had been killed by someone; for them at the Qi Refining Tenth Layer to stay behind would definitely be waiting for death.

Because the Trapped Dragon Formation lost Lu Yuan's spiritual power to maintain it, the light barrier flickered a few times before shattering with a loud crash.

The seven Qingyu Sect Cultivators fled frantically toward the outside of the Death Valley like stray dogs.

Su Qinghan leaned on her longsword, panting heavily.

Looking at the corpses and blood all over the ground, she forced herself not to fall, scanning her surroundings with vigilant eyes as she tried to find the expert who had secretly lent a helping hand.

But apart from the sound of the wind, there was no other movement whatsoever in the Death Valley.

Deep underground, Qi Yang didn't even glance at the Storage Pouch on Lu Yuan's corpse.

There were certainly plenty of good things on Lu Yuan, but the Star-Patterned Fruit was still in Su Qinghan's hands. If he went out to loot the corpse now, he would inevitably run into Su Qinghan.

Why would a Loose Cultivator who superficially looked to be only at the Qi Condensation 8th Layer be able to instantly kill someone at the Qi Condensation 12th Layer?

This lie couldn't be smoothed over at all, and it might even expose his bottom line.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qi Yang executed the Earth Escape Technique, fleeing frantically along the underground rock strata toward the outer perimeter of the Yunxing Abyss without looking back.

After escaping for a full hundred miles and confirming there were no pursuers behind him, Qi Yang slightly slowed his speed.

"Although this time cost a scapegoat paper doll and half of my liquid spiritual power, saving Su Qinghan means making a steady profit without any loss."

Qi Yang calculated inwardly underground, preparing to find a secluded mine to first recover his spiritual power.

However, just as he was about to withdraw from the core area of the Yunxing Abyss and get ready to burst out of the ground to exchange breath, his perception network trembled violently, and an intense sense of life-and-death crisis instantly enveloped his entire body!

He abruptly halted his earth escape, entire body lying dormant like a stubborn rock three zhang deep underground, completely stagnating even his breathing.

"Since you've come, why be in such a hurry to leave?"

A crisp yet overbearing voice penetrated the thick rock strata, clearly transmitting into Qi Yang's ears.

Qi Yang's heart shook wildly. Through his perceptive power, he saw that on the essential path ahead, a figure dressed in fiery red robes was quietly standing on a giant black meteorite.

Ziyang Valley, Ye Hongyu!

An expression that was not quite a smile hung on her exquisitely beautiful face, and her eyes, intertwined with thunder and fire, were actually staring fixedly at the underground location where Qi Yang was hiding!

"Your Excellency has fine methods, severely injuring a Qi Condensation 12th Layer expert with a single strike. Such a ruthless poisonous skill doesn't look like that of an ordinary Loose Cultivator."

Ye Hongyu's voice was not loud, but every single word felt like a heavy hammer smashing into Qi Yang's heart.

He had been discovered!

Qi Yang knew that playing dead when facing a Prodigy of this level was useless.

He abruptly burst out of the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and landed in an open space dozens of zhang away from Ye Hongyu.

He still wore that withered human-skin mask, his back hunched, and his voice was hoarse: "This Fairy, this old man is merely a passing Loose Cultivator. I wonder what instruction the Fairy has in blocking this old man's path?"

"Passing by?"

Ye Hongyu let out a scoff, a trace of banter flashing in her eyes.

"To be able to make this young lady's Thunder-Fire Spiritual Root produce a response, your poisonous skill is certainly not simple. Let me see just how much weight you actually carry!"

Before her voice even faded, Ye Hongyu gave Qi Yang no opportunity to explain whatsoever.

She raised her slender jade hand, condensing a glaring crimson flame in the palm of her hand, and struck out with a palm strike!

Rumble!

A flame palm print several zhang in size, carrying the terrifying coercion of the Qi Condensation 12th Layer Great Perfection, directly sealed off all of Qi Yang's retreating paths.

The surrounding air distorted violently under this high temperature, and even the rocks on the ground were melted into magma!

"Crazy woman!"

Qi Yang cursed foully in his heart.

He absolutely could not expose his Poison Wood Spiritual Power; that was his trump card.

Facing this must-kill palm strike, Qi Yang patted his Storage Pouch, and that incomplete five elements ring purchased at the Ghost Market roared out.

Qi Yang clenched his teeth tightly, injecting a drop of liquid Poison Wood Spiritual Power from his Qi Sea into the five elements ring!

Hum!

The originally incomplete five elements ring suddenly erupted with blinding colorful toxic light.

Under the stimulation of the Poison Wood Spiritual Power, the Five Elements spiritual powers of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth intertwined into an incomparably thick colorful light shield, forcefully blocking in front of the flame palm print!

Bang! ! !

A deafening explosion resounded through the canyon.

The violent air wave rolled outward toward all directions like a tsunami.

Qi Yang only felt an overwhelming and majestic force surge into his body through the five elements ring. He let out a muffled groan, and taking advantage of this recoil force, his entire body retreated violently by dozens of zhang, slamming heavily against the rock wall while a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

But he had successfully blocked it!