67: Not worth it

With his gaze withdrawn from the emblem, Qin Jin thought about what Chu Tianyi had said before he left.

The Twilight Society had prepared a generous gift to repay those who had ambushed the Corona Squad.

After entering the restricted area, Qin Jin did not specifically target the Corona Squad, but instead acted according to his predetermined plan.

In his opinion,

The ultimate winner of the Heavenly Selection was more important and precious than anything else.

Now,

The last member of the Corona Squad had actively come before him.

As Qin Jin's gaze scrutinized, a voice emerged from beneath the hood.

"They really didn't lie to me."

"In the core of this restricted area, someone is stationed here, intercepting and defeating all competitors."

As he spoke, the hood was removed, revealing a somewhat ordinary face.

The Corona Squad's Ding Que!

His eyes held intense interest as he gazed at Qin Jin: "To dare to think like that and put it into action, impressive."

"Unfortunately, I arrived a bit late and can only pick up your leftovers. If I had come earlier, I would have liked to experience the feeling of being a single person guarding the pass."

Qin Jin's expression was calm, his breathing unhurried, his entire being in a state of extreme stillness.

The opponent, being the last competitor to reach this point, must have eliminated many rivals for him along the way.

His gaze turned back, Qin Jin glanced at the Thunder God Tree behind him, whose cracks were continuously increasing, and a voice emerged.

"Come on."

"I'm in a hurry."

"Oh?"

Ding Que raised an eyebrow slightly, then reacted: "That's right, you defeated and drove away all your opponents to ensure that no accidents occurred with the Heavenly Selection."

"Now, it seems the Star God of the Mining Star is finally about to emerge."

"No matter."

"I will not affect the final outcome of the Heavenly Selection."

As he spoke, he grabbed his cloak and flung it aside.

The wind whipped the cloak, and in mid-air, the Sun emblem glowed.

On Ding Que's inner clothing, there were many torn areas, revealing sturdy muscles and bloodstains on his skin.

"The Heavenly Selection is also a Divine Selection."

"Although I follow the path of a Martial Artist and have never worshipped or believed in the Crown Lord, having been chosen by the Corona Sect to participate in this Heavenly Selection on behalf of a divine religious sect, how could the nascent Star God favor me?"

"Moreover, I wasn't here for the Heavenly Selection in the first place."

As he spoke, his voice gradually grew louder: "In the battle for the Heavenly Selection, I don't know how many geniuses from the Mining Star gathered. I ventured deep into the restricted area precisely because I wanted to meet various Martial Dao geniuses."

In his eyes, the fighting spirit deepened.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Ding Que stretched his fingers: "You and I, without being influenced by anything else, can fight freely."

The moment his words fell.

A sound like igniting flames erupted, and life energy spread, enveloping his entire body and transforming into a fiery color.

Under the reflection of the flames, Ding Que's expression was profound as he uttered his final words.

"Deep Valley District, Ding Que."

"Please!"

He extended his hand in an ancient inviting gesture.

"To meet Martial Dao geniuses, is it."

Qin Jin's expression was steady.

He wasn't that kind of person, but he could understand and respect such a person.

"New Sheep District, Qin Jin."

"Please."

The moment his response fell.

Boom!

Boom!

Two explosive sounds rang out as both individuals simultaneously left their original positions.

The next instant.

Qin Jin was surrounded by lightning, forming armor, and the Sky Thunder Body was activated.

The two figures stepped on the ground and clashed together.

Bang!

A muffled sound echoed, and one of the figures was struck heavily, retreating sharply.

Ding Que.

In the initial collision, he was at a disadvantage.

But in his eyes, there was no fear; instead, he became even more excited, pushing off with his right leg and charging forward again.

Above the sky, the thundercloud vortex continuously expanded, like a scene of doomsday.

In the thunder pool, the surging lightning was attracted by the vortex at this moment, and streaks of lightning, from bottom to top, fell back into the sky, like a cage formed of lightning.

And on the bank of the thunder pool.

Lightning and fire collided, continuously engaging in battle.

Accompanying another collision.

Qin Jin's palm clamped around Ding Que's throat, slamming him heavily onto the ground.

Thud!

On the cliff, shattered rocks flew.

Blood seeped from the corner of Ding Que's mouth.

He was very strong, able to be chosen by the Corona Sect and defeat opponents one after another within the restricted area; he was a true genius.

But he was facing…

Qin Jin.

There is no second in martial arts; even geniuses have their differences in skill.

In nearly the same amount of cultivation time, Qin Jin had grown more and possessed greater combat power. In every collision, Ding Que was at a disadvantage, and the outcome of this battle was determined from the very beginning.

Looking at the heavily panting Ding Que below, Qin Jin released his grip and stood up.

"You have already lost; leave."

After speaking, Qin Jin turned and walked towards the edge of the thunder pool cliff.

In place.

Ding Que faced the sky, the astonishing spectacle in the sky unable to capture his slightest attention. Amidst his gasps, he repeated Qin Jin's words.

"Lost, huh."

"Qin Jin, for you to be able to block this place alone, you are truly terrifyingly strong."

Amidst his soft murmurs, at a certain moment, a sudden flash of fire appeared in his eyes.

Amidst the flickering flames.

Around his physique, the life energy, which had been dormant after his defeat, revived once more. Around his body, the fiery color reignited, and at this moment, it seemed as if real flames had formed, encircling his entire being.

What was noteworthy was…

The flames, formed by this life energy, were dark red, appearing somewhat eerie.

He stood up, his face somewhat pale, and a voice emerged.

"Qin Jin, this battle is not over yet."

Qin Jin stopped and looked back.

His gaze lingered, and combined with his spiritual perception, he discerned Ding Que's current state.

The Esoteric Sect lineage had the most methods. Ding Que's increasingly pale face, coupled with the more vibrant dark red flames around him, clearly indicated that he was employing some secret technique that consumed his life essence to unleash stronger combat power.

Qin Jin's gaze was scrutinizing, and his voice was calm as he asked: "Is it worth it?"

"Of course, it's worth it."

Ding Que's face grew even paler, a smile on his lips, and he said lightly: "This is very likely to be my final battle in this life."

"When I chose to delve deep into the restricted area, I was already prepared for this."

"Facing an opponent like you, as the curtain call for my brief martial arts career, how could it not be worth it?"

"Qin Jin, I can feel that you haven't used your full strength yet. Come on, fight with all your might and let me know just how strong you truly are."

A flicker of thought crossed Qin Jin's eyes.

He had heard some deeper meaning in the other party's words.

Meeting Ding Que's increasingly intense gaze, Qin Jin shook his head, his tone steady: "I don't think it's worth it."

"Then it's not up to…"

His words stopped abruptly.

Because, at this very moment, a pair of extremely cold eyes suddenly appeared before him.

Appearing alongside the pupils was an incomparably massive Three-Headed Strange Python.

But Ding Que could no longer see those things, because the moment he saw those pupils, his mind was completely suppressed.

His gaze directly met the python's eyes, and his spiritual world was heavily burdened, his thoughts frozen, and an astonishing pressure permeated his entire body.

Outside.

Ding Que's movements froze in place.

The flames around his body continued to burn.

This secret technique, which consumed life essence, once activated, continued to affect the physical body even if the mind was suppressed.

Qin Jin stepped closer, a thought flashing in his eyes. At this moment, the surging lightning around him receded, and amidst the surging life energy, it transformed into another elemental form.

That was…

Ice attribute.

Nine Tribulation True Body — Profound Ice Body!

After obtaining the Nine Tribulation True Body, he quickly mastered the Sky Thunder Body and began to learn and research other True Bodies.

The professional panel, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the Martial Dao Crystal containing divine charm, these three combined, along with his own comprehension, allowed him to successfully master a second True Body before the Heavenly Selection began.

At this moment,

Under the influence of the ice elemental attribute, Qin Jin's hair was dyed frosty white, a chill emanated from his body, and a cold current seemed to flow in his palms.

He reached out his hand, and upon contact with the dark red flames burning around Ding Que, life energies collided, and the cold current spread throughout Ding Que's body.

The flames struggled for a moment, then were mercilessly suppressed!

The extremely cold ice element extinguished the flames, froze Ding Que's entire body, stopped the circulation of his life energy, halted all movements of his physical body, and in an astonishing manner, physically interrupted the operation of Ding Que's secret technique.

The Profound Ice Body was deactivated.

Qin Jin returned to normal.

The mental suppression was lifted.

Ding Que's vacant eyes returned to normal, only to find himself weak and frozen by an unknown force. He couldn't move, and even blinking was incredibly difficult.

Qin Jin looked at him, and a voice emerged.

"It seems that this squad you belong to did something for the Corona Sect within the restricted area, making you believe that your life is short."

Qin Jin finished speaking without further words, turning his gaze towards the distance.

There,

Was the third living being in the vicinity of the thunder pool at this moment.

The Saber-toothed tiger.

After carrying Qin Jin here, it dared not approach the thunder pool, yet it did not leave, observing from a distance the entire time.

Other competitors who arrived at this place would not waste energy on an extraordinary creature that had not attacked them.

Thus,

It had waited until now.

Sensing Qin Jin's gaze, the Saber-toothed tiger's body trembled, and it galloped closer.

The battlefield between the two was some distance from the thunder pool, allowing it to approach with some difficulty.

Qin Jin grabbed Ding Que's arm and threw him onto the Saber-toothed tiger's back.

At the same time, he issued a command through mental power.

"Take him out of the restricted area alive, to our human base."

"Tell them…"

Having made arrangements through mental power, Qin Jin thought for a moment, then took out his knuckle dusters and had the Saber-toothed tiger carry them to verify his identity.

At this time, the Frontline Base was filled with powerful individuals, with various forces stationed there.

They would naturally be able to obtain the information he wished to convey from the Saber-toothed tiger through mental power.

"Be quick."

After issuing the final command, under Qin Jin's watchful gaze, the Saber-toothed tiger carried Ding Que away at full speed.

Qin Jin withdrew his gaze.

The members of the Corona Squad would not be chosen by the nascent Star God.

Ding Que's late arrival, and even his belief that this might be his final battle.

Combining these two pieces of information, Qin Jin drew a conclusion.

The Corona Sect, in this Heavenly Selection, was not here for ultimate victory in the first place.

"I wonder what plan the Corona Sect has made."

"But when soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we cover it with earth. The Federation is not presiding over the Heavenly Selection for the first time, and participating in the Heavenly Selection itself requires obtaining a 'ticket' from the Federation, so they must have made thorough preparations."

Thoughts flashed through his mind.

Qin Jin stepped back towards the edge of the thunder pool cliff.

The star sea is vast, and everyone has their own things to do.

And what he had to do at this moment was to quietly await the emergence of the Star God.

Looking out,

The cracks in the Thunder God Tree were continuously increasing and rapidly expanding; this divine tree, standing between heaven and earth, now seemed to have split into two halves!