112: overestimating their abilities

"White Lotus Cult Master, aren't you running anymore?"

"Oh! This Yin Spirit seems to remember now."

"The planes hidden by the White Lotus Sect have already been..."

Hei Jing came to a halt and softly uttered the word, "Boom."

Then, his cold gaze swept over the group of high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect who had just scrambled out of the secret passage in a pathetic state.

The White Lotus Cult Master panted heavily. After a brief moment of adjusting his breathing, he raised his head and locked eyes with Hei Jing.

[Damn it! I'll give it my all.]

He composed himself, the corners of his mouth curling into a contemptuous smile. "If it were any other Rank 5 powerhouse from the Underworld, I wouldn't say a word and would turn and flee immediately."

"But a mere Black Impermanence like you isn't worth me scurrying around like a stray dog." Having said that, he shook his head dismissively, exuding an air of arrogance.

Hearing this, Hei Jing didn't get angry; instead, he threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha... This is truly interesting!"

"This Yin Spirit has heard that decades ago, you single-handedly forced back those so-called righteous factions of the Xia Kingdom."

"But they were just a few ordinary cultivators who had barely broken through to Rank 4. How could they possibly compare to the power of my Underworld?"

"Hmph, mortal, do not look down upon Rank 4 cultivators of the Underworld. How could commoners like you possibly imagine the strength and methods we possess?"

The White Lotus Cult Master didn't care for his warning at all, his face still filled with disdain. "Is that so? Then let me test for myself just how much weight you, a so-called Yin Spirit of the Underworld, actually carry!"

Before his voice had even faded, he suddenly waved his hands, and dozens of pale bone hands instantly materialized behind him.

Like ghosts, these bone hands reached out at lightning speed toward all the high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect, except for Qin Canghai.

Accompanied by a series of screams, the high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect had no time to react before their energy centers were ruthlessly hollowed out by the bone hands.

Immediately after, the White Lotus Cult Master opened his mouth and swallowed those extracted energy centers one by one.

As each energy center was devoured, a power so immense it was suffocating erupted from the White Lotus Cult Master.

This aura was like surging ocean waves, layer upon layer, eventually converging into the terrifying momentum of a peak Rank 4, sweeping out in all directions.

"Lord Yin Spirit, I wonder if I now have the strength to compete with you?"

"Hmph, I hope you can provide this Yin Spirit with a bit of a challenge. Don't be like those previous fools who overestimated themselves and were defeated in a single blow."

Hei Jing snorted coldly. Before his words fell, he suddenly swung his right hand, and a pitch-black Spirit-Devouring Spear, emitting a faint, cold light, was already in his grasp.

His figure flickered, vanishing from where he stood.

In the blink of an eye, Hei Jing had quietly appeared behind the White Lotus Cult Master.

His arm suddenly exerted force, and the Spirit-Devouring Spear, carrying fierce spear energy, turned into a bolt of black lightning, thrusting straight toward the White Lotus Cult Master's back.

The White Lotus Cult Master felt a chill down his back, and alarm bells rang in his mind.

With no time to think, his feet slammed onto the ground, and the spiritual energy within his body exploded. He shot backward like an arrow released from a bow.

Despite the White Lotus Cult Master's quick reaction, the Spirit-Devouring Spear still grazed his left shoulder, drawing a spray of blood.

He looked down to see a bloody hole deep enough to reveal the bone on his left shoulder, with blood gurgling out.

In this moment, the arrogance on the White Lotus Cult Master's face vanished completely, replaced by deep wariness.

If he hadn't dodged in time just now, he would likely be heavily injured by now.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear, and at the same time, he felt a chill at Hei Jing's incredibly eerie speed.

"Oh my! I was just a tiny bit away from piercing you through. What a pity, what a pity."

Seeing this, although Hei Jing feigned regret, his face was full of playfulness. Clearly, he did not take the White Lotus Cult Master seriously.

"Hmph! I was just careless for a moment. Lord Yin Spirit, don't get too ahead of yourself!"

The White Lotus Cult Master's face flushed red as he roared in embarrassment and anger. His previously calm face was now somewhat distorted with rage.

His right hand quickly brushed over the storage bag at his waist. A cold light flashed, and a Blood-Drinking Saber, shimmering with a frigid light, instantly appeared in his hand.

"Oh? Is that so? Could it be that you're in such a pathetic state because your own strength is too weak?"

Hei Jing's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile as he mocked him mercilessly.

Then, his expression suddenly turned serious, and a sharp killing intent flickered in his eyes.

He gripped the Spirit-Devouring Spear tightly with both hands, his arm muscles tensing as he shouted, "Watch this! Take this strike!"

Before his voice had even faded, Hei Jing's figure was like lightning as he charged forward. Simultaneously, the Spirit-Devouring Spear in his hand turned into a bolt of black lightning, thrusting fiercely toward the White Lotus Cult Master with the sound of breaking air.

For a moment, the Spirit-Devouring Spear and the Blood-Drinking Saber collided, producing a deafening metallic clang.

Accompanying this loud crash, a shockwave erupted from the point of their clash, spreading out rapidly in all directions like surging ocean waves.

Sand and stones flew, and dust filled the air wherever it passed. Even Qin Canghai, who was watching from dozens of yards away, was not spared, caught in the gale whipped up by the shockwave.

As the gale whistled past, Qin Canghai felt as though he were in the middle of a storm, his body swaying involuntarily.

The few hairs remaining on his head fluttered wildly in the wind like dancing weeds.

"Is this... Is this the battle between peak Rank 4 powerhouses?"

"So terrifyingly powerful!" Qin Canghai's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief and shock.

"I blocked it!"

The White Lotus Cult Master exerted force on the Blood-Drinking Saber once more, pressing it against Hei Jing.

A cold sneer appeared on his lips as he mocked, "It seems Your Excellency is merely as fast as lightning."

"A sneak attack might work, but in a head-on confrontation, it's like striking a stone with an egg—completely useless."

"Is that so?" Hei Jing seemed to be laughing at the other's ignorance.

Then, his figure suddenly paused, and he thrust out another backhanded strike.

This strike was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, stabbing into the White Lotus Cult Master's spine. The spear's momentum was continuous, returning to the front of the White Lotus Cult Master once more.

The third strike was like a meteor streaking across the sky, leaving a pin-sized hole in the White Lotus Cult Master's chest.

In fact, in less than a second, Hei Jing had completed three dazzling thrusts.

The White Lotus Cult Master groaned and retreated repeatedly, as if struck by a heavy hammer.

He looked down at the insignificant hole in his chest, his eyes filled with horror. "How is this possible???"

"Heh."

Hei Jing didn't give his opponent any chance to breathe and closed in again. The Spirit-Devouring Spear was like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, baring its fangs and claws, aiming straight for the White Lotus Cult Master's throat, intending to kill him.