68: Chapter 68 A Cup of Tea

"Maoshan remnant..."

"Boom!"

It felt as if something had exploded inside Lin Jiu's mind!

The tragic scene from three years ago, when the Maoshan ancestral grounds were burned and his fellow Disciples were slaughtered, instantly tore through his rationality.

Ding Qing's contemptuous use of the word "remnant" ripped open the deepest scar in his heart, exposing it bloody and raw.

It was true that he was an upright man and that slaying demons and eliminating evil was his duty, but he was certainly no pushover to be kneaded at will.

Especially when it concerned the dignity of his sect and the lives of his Disciples!

"How dare you, scoundrel, insult my sect!!"

Lin Jiu's hair and beard bristled, his eyes turned blood-red, and the grief and rage he had suppressed for years erupted completely.

He slammed a palm down onto the yellow rosewood table beside him.

"Crack!"

The solid tabletop shattered in response.

Wood splinters flew everywhere!

Almost at the same moment the table shattered, Lin Jiu erupted into motion like an arrow released from a bowstring.

His left index and middle fingers were pressed together like a sword, and between them, he held a "Five Thunder Evil-Breaking Talisman," crimson with cinnabar and covered in dense thunder patterns.

Arcs of electricity faintly crackled along the edges of the Talisman!

With his right hand, he lightning-fast drew a Seven-Star Dharma Sword, fashioned from a string of copper coins and imbued with a reddish glow, from his wide sleeves.

His footwork was incredibly swift!

It was not the purely elegant Daoist technique, but rather a blend of the close-quarters thrusting skills of top Jianghu experts.

His toes tapped the ground like a hawk diving for a rabbit; the sword tip pointed straight at Ding Qing's throat, while the Talisman locked onto his solar plexus.

Every move was a lethal strike combining Daoist and martial arts!

The fierce Qi that erupted in that instant caused the air to emit a piercing whistle.

The bottleneck in his Realm, where he had been trapped for years, showed faint signs of loosening under this overwhelming rage and the pressure of life and death.

Old Monk Baiyun's expression changed drastically, and his withered hand instantly reached out.

A soft yet resilient light of Buddha covered the young novice monk behind him and the terrified Master Ren like a canopy, while he urgently shouted:

"Fellow Daoist Lin! Benefactor Ding! Please..."

The rest of his words were torn apart by the fierce wind.

Prince of Zhou Yuan and his sister had long sensed something was wrong and hurriedly retreated to the corridor outside the hall, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Prince of Zhou Yuan kept his hand on his sword hilt, shielding his eager sister, while staring at the scene with a grave expression.

Facing this lethal, rage-filled combined attack, Ding Qing, beneath his bamboo hat, did not even raise an eyebrow.

He did not even leave his seat.

Just as Lin Jiu's sword tip and the lightning of the Talisman were less than three feet away from him.

Ding Qing's right hand moved!

It was merely a casual flick of his sleeve.

The movement was understated, as if brushing away a speck of dust.

"Click!"

The cup of clear tea, which he had placed on the edge of the table and which almost no one had noticed, was precisely jolted upward by an invisible yet irresistible force, transforming into a jade-green streak of light wrapped in a rich tea fragrance and terrifying internal Qi.

It did not look like a throw, but rather like a teleportation out of thin air, shooting straight at Lin Jiu's face!

The teacup itself remained intact, but the water inside, agitated by the internal Qi, spun at high speed like a drill, emitting a low hum.

"Catch it, and drink it."

Ding Qing's voice remained cold and hoarse, devoid of any worldly emotion.

"This matter will be settled. Otherwise..."

There was no need to finish the sentence.

The destructive power contained within the teacup, capable of piercing metal and stone, was the best threat.

Lin Jiu's pupils constricted!

He did not expect his opponent to use a cup of tea as a weapon.

The speed of the teacup, the trickiness of the angle, and the condensed, overbearing force it contained far exceeded his imagination.

His close-quarters thrusting speed, which he prided himself on, seemed clumsy in the face of this cup of tea.

In his haste, he had no choice but to forcefully change his move.

His left hand changed the Five Thunder Evil-Breaking Talisman from a strike to a block, the lightning on the Talisman surging, attempting to shatter the teacup.

His right hand swept the Seven-Star Dharma Sword horizontally, the blade humming as he tried to deflect it.

"Boom! Hum—!"

The lightning from the Talisman and the internal Qi contained in the teacup collided with a roar.

Blinding electric light and jade-green mist exploded instantly.

Lin Jiu felt an overwhelming, immensely condensed force slam into his body through the Talisman and the sword.

He let out a muffled groan.

His blood and Qi churned like boiling water, and he stumbled back three steps before barely steadying himself.

The web between the thumb and index finger of his left hand, which held the Talisman, split open, dripping with blood.

The Seven-Star Dharma Sword was shaken, humming and wailing, almost flying out of his hand.

And that teacup...

It was still floating, completely intact, in the air about a foot in front of him.

The water in the cup continued to spin ceaselessly, only now wisps of white steam rose from the surface, emitting a terrifying pressure!

"Master!"

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai's eyes nearly split from anger at the sight!

When had they ever seen their Master in such a sorry state during a close-quarters confrontation?

In their anxiety, they didn't care about their own low strength; Qiu Sheng drew his peach-wood sword, and Wen Cai grabbed a handful of copper coins, preparing to rush forward to help.

"You are courting death!"

A cold, icy shout rang out!

Li Wujiu, who had been standing with his hand on his saber, felt his Evil Qi surge.

He had long found these two Maoshan Disciples unpleasant, and seeing them dare to act rashly, the ancient saber "Wind-Thunder" at his waist instantly unsheathed.

"Clang—!"

The sound of the saber was like a thunderclap!

A blade Aura as solid as substance, wrapped in blinding golden electric light, tore through the air.

It was not aimed at Lin Jiu, but straight at the rushing Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai.

Before the blade Aura even arrived, the overbearing, peerless thunder Evil Qi had already made the two feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, their bodies stiffening, and even their breathing halted.

This slash!

Fast! Ruthless! Absolute!

It carried undisguised killing intent.

"Show mercy!"

Prince of Zhou Yuan shouted clearly, his figure cutting into the battle circle like a ghost.

He did not draw his sword; instead, he pressed his fingers together, and a layer of soft Protective Aura, flowing like water, instantly condensed at his fingertips, precisely tapping the side of the violent blade Aura several times.

"Chi! Chi! Chi!"

The flexible finger Aura was like throwing pebbles into a violent thunderstorm; although it could not completely neutralize the blade Aura, it caused its trajectory to deflect slightly.

Boom!

The blade Aura grazed the corners of Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai's clothes and struck the ground.

The hard bluestone slab, as if struck by lightning, instantly exploded into a charred, deep trench several feet long.

Stone fragments flew everywhere!

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were swept by the aftermath of the fierce Saber Qi, vomiting blood as they flew backward like kites with broken strings.

They slammed heavily into the corner, their faces pale as paper, having completely lost their ability to fight.

Their eyes were filled only with boundless fear.

In that instant, they had truly felt the breath of death.

"Good! Well fought! Brother Li is so amazing!"

Zhou Yuanshu, standing in the corridor, watched with eyes shining, unable to help but clap and call out charmingly.

Her pretty face was flushed with excitement.

Li Wujiu's heroic bearing, with golden light covering his body and his saber drawing wind and thunder, making him look like a golden-armored deity descended from heaven, made her heart flutter, leaving her infatuated and mesmerized.

Master Ren hid behind Old Monk Baiyun's Buddhist light, shaking like a sieve from fear, yet he couldn't help but peek through his fingers.

He was both shocked and delighted in his heart.

He was shocked that these gentlemen would engage in a life-and-death struggle at the slightest disagreement.

He was delighted that the strength they displayed was more terrifying than the last, and it seemed there was truly hope for resolving the zombie plague.

Especially that Ding Qing, who forced Lin Jiu back with a single cup of tea.

And at this moment, the core battle in the arena had reached a fever pitch!

Forced back by a cup of tea, and with his Disciples suffering heavy injuries, the grief, indignation, and unyielding spirit in Lin Jiu's heart instantly climbed to the peak.

He let out a long howl toward the sky, the sound filled with the determination to risk everything!

"Ah!!!"

Following this howl, the Qi around his body erupted like a volcano.

An overwhelming Aura, far more powerful, condensed, and seamless than before, rose into the sky.