Chapter 64: Who Is the Hunter?

Old Daoist Qi gripped his black Daoist sword, his face filled with shock, his heart already roiling with monstrous waves!

How could Chen Tian possibly appear here?

After killing Wei Guangming, shouldn’t he have fled deep into the heart of Ning Province?

How dare he turn back to ambush me?

Whether it was Zuo Feiyu or Old Daoist Qi, they both instinctively believed that after Chen Yuan killed Wei Guangming, he would flee deep into the heart of Ning Province.

A prey that tears a hole in the net would surely try to escape; how could it possibly turn back and dive deeper into the net?

Little did they know they had been mistaken about one thing from the very beginning.

Chen Yuan had never considered himself the prey. He was the hunter!

“Why so silent? Don’t you want to honor the brotherhood of your Yinshan Five Ghosts? Your fallen brothers in the underworld would be heartbroken.”

As Chen Yuan’s mocking voice echoed, the sudden ring of a blade pierced the night.

Simultaneously, someone in the crowd immediately had their head fly off, blood gushing like a spring.

The Loose Cultivators and Martial Artists present were nearly scared out of their wits.

They had just heard the blade’s ring, and the edge was already upon them. Just how fast was this strike?

“Chen Tian! If you have the guts, come out and face me head-on! What’s the point of playing these ghostly tricks?”

Old Daoist Qi roared angrily, trying to locate Chen Yuan’s movements but finding it impossible.

The night was thick, and they were deep in a dense forest, surrounded by too many Martial Artists.

With so many auras intertwined, even the most perceptive Martial Artist would struggle to pinpoint Chen Yuan’s form.

Not to mention, Old Daoist Qi himself didn’t know any perception-based secret techniques.

Moreover, most of the Martial Artists Old Daoist Qi had recruited were around the Pulse Opening and Blood Moving Realm, with only two or three at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Chen Yuan’s swift blade was almost an instant kill against Martial Artists of this level.

No matter how they defended or remained vigilant, they couldn’t outpace Chen Yuan’s fleeting strike.

In moments, several more were slain by Chen Yuan.

Now, those Jianghu People completely broke down, scattering in all directions.

The feeling of being like lambs waiting for slaughter was utterly suffocating.

No one knew whose head Chen Yuan’s next strike would fall upon.

Whenever that blade rang, a head would fall—precise, ruthless, and utterly lethal.

With the terror of life and death looming, who cared about the Nine Sword Alliance or Zuo Feiyu?

While prospects were tempting, survival was paramount now.

Old Daoist Qi tried to stop them, but no one listened, and in moments, they had all fled.

From the depths of the forest, Chen Yuan slowly emerged into the night.

Clad in black, he seemed to merge completely with the darkness, only the blade of his Azure Dragon Blood Drink gleaming brightly, faintly shimmering with a bloody light.

“Old Daoist Qi, I’ve come to send you on your way!”

“Arrogant!”

Old Daoist Qi roared, the sword aura on his black Daoist sword flickering. In an instant, Yin Fiend Sword Qi spread everywhere, carrying a sharp and vicious sword momentum as it thrust toward Chen Yuan!

Yin Severing Seven Swords!

Even knowing Chen Yuan had killed Wei Guangming, Old Daoist Qi wasn’t necessarily afraid of him.

The Nine Realms of Martial Dao have always been divided into the lower three Realms, middle three Realms, and upper three Realms.

Body Tempering, Blood Moving, and Pulse Opening are the lower three Realms, the simplest form of tempering one’s own Physical Body.

For Martial Artists from top-tier Sects and families, these three Realms are merely the starting point of Foundation Establishment.

They only need to Cultivate Internal Skills step by step, consume and refine some Medicinal Pills, and easily reach Perfection in the lower three Realms.

Only upon reaching the middle three Realms—Foundation Establishment, Lunhai, and True Condensation—does the real intensity begin.

Progressing from Blood Moving to Foundation Establishment requires accumulation, Epiphany, and an extremely powerful force impact.

And advancing from Foundation Establishment to opening the Lunhai Realm even requires undergoing a life-and-death tribulation.

If one fails to open the Lunhai Realm, the lightest consequence is severe damage to the Dantian and shattered Meridians, becoming a cripple for life.

The worst could even mean losing one’s life outright.

Thus, any Martial Artist who has opened the Lunhai Realm can rightfully be called a master anywhere.

Old Daoist Qi had also undergone the life-and-death tribulation of the Lunhai Realm; how could he truly fear a junior like Chen Yuan?

Old Daoist Qi’s Yin Severing Seven Swords were vicious and ruthless. The Yin Fiend Sword Qi could erode True Qi, sinister and deadly.

This time, however, Chen Yuan did not summon the descent of Blood Fiend Force. Instead, he fully activated the Tathagata Freedom Demon Secret Canon, surging Devilish Qi swirling around the blade.

With a single slash, tyrannical Devilish Qi erupted, instantly devouring the Yin Fiend Sword Qi.

Demon Blade Slash!

Blade and sword clashed, the clanging explosions echoing through the surrounding forest.

This exchange seemed somewhat evenly matched.

Old Daoist Qi was severely injured and not yet healed, while Chen Yuan, having cultivated the Immaculate Crystal Vajra Sutra, possessed astonishing physical strength and explosive power.

Thus, even though Old Daoist Qi had opened the Lunhai Realm, Chen Yuan was not afraid of him in terms of strength.

And while the Yin Fiend Sword Qi was quite effective against ordinary Martial Artists, how could the pure Devilish Qi cultivated from the Tathagata Freedom Demon Secret Canon be affected by mere Yin Fiend Qi?

After over ten exchanges, Old Daoist Qi grew increasingly anxious as he couldn’t gain the upper hand.

In Demon Sealing Valley, Wei Guangming had relied entirely on his Physical Body to withstand attacks.

Old Daoist Qi survived because he used a secret technique to sacrifice his essence blood, even damaging his Lunhai Realm in the process.

So, while ordinary Lunhai Realm Martial Artists could exhaust their opponents with the powerful Internal Energy from their Lunhai, if Old Daoist Qi fought for too long, his old Lunhai injury might flare up, potentially crippling his cultivation entirely!

With a low shout, Old Daoist Qi suddenly unleashed Yin Evil Sword Qi from his Daoist sword while pointing his fingers like swords, sending several streams of sinister finger force toward Chen Yuan’s vital points!

Yin Fiend Finger!

Chen Yuan used a Treading Waves Slash to shatter the Sword Qi, while his left hand formed a seal. A golden Buddha light suddenly erupted around him.

Immaculate Crystal, Vajra Indestructible!

The venomous force of the Yin Fiend Finger struck the crystal Buddha light and was instantly dissolved.

“Buddhist Golden Body!?”

Old Daoist Qi’s expression changed instantly.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Yuan’s lips. “Old Daoist Qi, it seems your injuries from Demon Sealing Valley were indeed severe, much worse than Wei Guangming’s.

You’re so eager to defeat me so soon after we started fighting—it must be because your Lunhai is damaged, so you don’t want a prolonged battle?

I advise you to surrender. Wei Guangming died by my hand; what makes you think you can escape?”

A chill ran down Old Daoist Qi’s spine.

How old did this Chen Tian look? Barely in his twenties, yet why was his combat experience so profound?

Moreover, his mindset in battle was extremely calm—planning three steps ahead with each move, leaving two moves in reserve, and even able to deduce your current state based on your reactions.

Old Daoist Qi had seen Martial Artists like this before, but they were all fierce veterans who had experienced countless Jianghu battles.

Could it be that Chen Tian was a killing weapon secretly trained by some assassin organization? Only being raised from childhood in bloody combat could explain such an absurd state.

Having probed Old Daoist Qi’s true condition, Chen Yuan was now in no hurry to attack.

Against Wei Guangming, speed was key; against Old Daoist Qi, stability was paramount.

Old Daoist Qi snorted coldly, suddenly retreating as he pulled a bone flute from his robe.

Injecting Yin Fiend True Qi into it, Old Daoist Qi blew into the bone flute. Instantly, an extremely sinister sound, like demonic music piercing the ears, erupted beside Chen Yuan.

In that moment, Chen Yuan grunted, his vision suddenly blurring as his five senses were instantly sealed.

Thousand Illusions Demonic Melody!

Among the Yinshan Five Ghosts, Old Daoist Qi wasn’t actually known for his martial prowess.

He excelled in various sinister and underhanded methods, which could catch opponents off guard when suddenly deployed in battle.

Putting down the bone flute, Old Daoist Qi let out a long breath, then swiftly inserted a silver needle into the Baihui Point on the top of his head.

This Thousand Illusions Demonic Melody was a fragment of a Cultivation Technique from a Demonic Path Sect thousands of years ago, which he had snatched from ruins.

Although he could barely use it, the Thousand Illusions Demonic Melody he played would even affect himself, so he had to use special means to maintain clarity.

Yin Fiend Qi enveloped his Daoist sword, emitting a sharp shriek as it thrust toward Chen Yuan, who was now immersed and deprived of his five senses!

But the moment Old Daoist Qi struck, an astonishingly intense Blood Fiend Force erupted from Chen Yuan’s body.

Killing intent descended, Blood Fiend Force entered the body!

The killing intent origin of the seven killing stele descended, instantly dispersing the power of the Thousand Illusions Demonic Melody.

Chen Yuan struck with a palm, boundless Blood Fiend Force gathering before him as a calamity of slaughter suddenly descended!

Old Daoist Qi never expected Chen Yuan could break free from the influence of the Thousand Illusions Demonic Melody.

Under the Blood Slaughter Calamity Hand, Yin Fiend Qi was extinguished, the Daoist sword shattered. Old Daoist Qi desperately unleashed all his power to block, but was still sent flying by this palm strike, instantly spitting blood.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Yuan pressed forward. A fleeting blade strike descended, the edge condensed with Blood Fiend Force instantly appearing before Old Daoist Qi’s eyes!

Old Daoist Qi roared furiously, his Qi and blood boiling and burning as a black power flowed in his hand.

That black power was extremely resilient, actually managing to block Chen Yuan’s strike.

However, the True Qi blade aura on the edge still tore Old Daoist Qi’s hand, leaving it dripping with blood.

The next moment, boundless suction emanated from the black power, like a black hole, actually absorbing Chen Yuan’s Internal Energy and True Qi.

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t resist. Instead, he went with the flow, channeling a large amount of Blood Fiend Force into it.

The next moment, terror flashed in Old Daoist Qi’s eyes.

He tried to stop the Blood Fiend Force, but it was too late. The tyrannical Blood Fiend Force directly exploded Old Daoist Qi’s Dantian, violently tearing him in two!

Old Daoist Qi’s mishmash of Cultivation Techniques was almost entirely incomplete.

The technique he just used, similar to an energy absorption method, should have included three parts in its complete form: absorption, transformation, and utilization for oneself.

But he had only mastered absorption without transformation, so he could only temporarily store it in his Dantian and Lunhai.

Against ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm Martial Artists, this was a deadly weapon, potentially draining their Internal Energy instantly.

But against Chen Yuan, who was empowered by the seven killing stele’s Blood Fiend Force, this method was pure suicide.