Chapter 40: Into the Brain!

Bang!

A gunshot rang out.

But Qin Long did not fall.

Silk threads!

The cluster of silk threads Qin Long had thrown earlier had layered itself in front of him, forming a tough yet soft net. The moment the bullet struck, the net stretched from its nearly transparent state into a visible milky white, with several threads snapping under the overwhelming pressure.

But there were too many remaining threads.

After a few snapped, the bullet was still successfully intercepted.

Bang! Bang!

Two more shots were fired.

More threads snapped.

But,

the defensive net still held firm.

Seeing that the total number of threads had barely decreased, Ding Xie stopped firing.

Even though his killing intent was surging, Ding Xie did not lose his reason.

He knew very well that even if he emptied his magazine, the sheer volume of threads meant the defensive net wouldn’t break—unless he used ‘doctors mercy’ to cause a qualitative change through quantitative pressure.

Seeing Ding Xie stop shooting, Qin Long burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, are you out of bullets?”

“This is the highest Realm of the ‘Suspended Silk Puppet Technique’—”

“‘Thousand Silks’!”

“The net it forms has already made me invincible.”

“Do you regret not bringing that gatling gun now?”

The verbal provocations were relentless.

As were the attacks from his hands.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

One thread after another was flicked out by Qin Long.

Each one was like an arrow shot from a powerful bow or crossbow.

Clack! Clack!

Ding Xie didn’t dodge; instead, he used the gun in his hand to parry the incoming threads.

Fine scratches, as if made by sharp blades, appeared on the metal body of the revolver.

Qin Long’s expression remained unchanged, but a deep gloom flickered in the depths of his eyes.

Dodge!

Why aren’t you moving?

Was I discovered?

Impossible!

Qin Long’s offensive grew more rapid, the threads in his hands surging like a tide.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sound of metal clashing was continuous.

And from beginning to end, Ding Xie’s feet did not move an inch.

Qin Long’s gaze became uncertain and suspicious.

‘Thousand Silks’ wasn’t as simple as forming a shield with threads.

The true killing move lay in those specially treated, completely transparent ethereal silk threads that were invisible to the naked eye.

They were not only tough but also razor-sharp.

A mere brush against them could slice a human body in two.

While Ding Xie was killing that Japanese woman, Qin Long had already set up death traps around them using six strands of ethereal silk.

Like a spider lying in wait, the ethereal silk spanned the air.

Sinister and ruthless, they hungered for blood and flesh.

Qin Long waited for the sound of flesh being sliced.

But why?

Why was Ding Xie standing perfectly still?

“Are you that old man’s Legacy successor?”

“Are you here to seek revenge on me?”

Qin Long thought of something and suddenly questioned him loudly.

Ding Xie took the opportunity to move.

His figure was as light as a cat and as swift as thunder.

With a series of maneuvers and leaps, Ding Xie passed through the death traps set by the six strands of ethereal silk and appeared behind Qin Long.

Qin Long was horrified. Looking at the great sage mask on Ding Xie’s face, an absurd thought crossed his mind.

Does he really have Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils?

Can he really see through illusions?

But Qin Long would receive no answer; he would only draw Ding Xie’s bullets.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Qin Long was sent staggering repeatedly.

However, the bullets did not pierce his body.

All the bullets were only half-embedded in his clothing; even the back of his head was protected by a hood that blocked the incoming rounds.

Bulletproof!

This scene once again confirmed Lin Tianding’s earlier words: Qin Long was someone who habitually hid in the shadows, not only calculating three steps ahead but also securing every position.

Therefore, when such a person suddenly chose to face an enemy head-on,

there was bound to be a trap.

Ding Xie had been on high alert all along.

And indeed, it was so.

Six strands of ethereal silk, transparent and life-taking.

Invisible to the eye.

But as the wind blew,

Ding Xie could hear the anomalies within it.

Just like right now.

The six strands of ethereal silk moved again.

The sound of the wind was slight as the strands interlaced.

Qin Long’s seemingly ordinary long robe had already transformed into a special suit of bulletproof armor that covered his entire body, even featuring lenses sewn into the eye positions.

His hands, in particular, looked as if they were wearing gloves.

The threads of the ‘Suspended Silk Puppet Technique’ fell away one after another.

But the six strands of ethereal silk did not!

In fact, as the other threads fell, the six strands of ethereal silk moved once more.

Qin Long was feigning weakness, trying to make Ding Xie lower his guard.

Or rather, even at this point, Qin Long still didn’t believe Ding Xie could see the ethereal silk.

But Ding Xie still didn’t move.

Qin Long’s eyes turned fierce.

No longer hesitating, he raised a hand and slapped his armpit.

Ssh!

A hidden pill went straight into his mouth.

This Medicinal Pill was the ‘Dragon Transformation Pill’ that Qin Long had created using his own Legacy as a Foundation, combined with secret medicines from Togakure Mountain.

While the ‘Vajra Indestructible Armor’ was good, Qin Long’s true trump card was this ‘Dragon Transformation Pill’!

The pill entered his mouth and immediately dissolved.

Sourness, itching, and pain.

Uncontrollable.

Qin Long’s body began to writhe.

Originally, Qin Long looked like a strange sort of caterpillar.

But as he writhed, he looked more like… a maggot.

However, the dissolved pill caused Qin Long’s muscle and nerve reactions to increase exponentially.

More importantly, the Qi and blood that Qin Long usually found difficult to mobilize were now boiling.

Qi and blood were like firewood, and his body was like a furnace.

A crimson mist, like steam, sprayed from Qin Long’s pores, instantly filling out his strange clothes. The lenses made of crystal also turned red at this moment.

Unprecedented power began to gather within Qin Long’s body.

“It hurts so much!”

“I can’t wait to tear you apart now. However, as the first person to see my full strength, you are qualified to witness my brand-new secret martial art after all my experiments!”

“The Fusion of the bear, tiger, eagle, leopard… the Dragon!”

Hysterical, his stature surged.

With a stomp of his foot, a vibration rippled out.

Bear Form Cultivation!

No!

It was Spirit Refining!

The women were directly intimidated.

They stood frozen on the spot, unable to move.

In the eyes of these women, Qin Long had already transformed into a roaring, running giant bear, but the running bear suddenly grew eagle wings and soared into the sky.

In mid-air, the bear paws turned into tiger paws, and the claws turned into eagle talons.

Even his tail kept lengthening, becoming a tiger’s tail.

It was completely different from the legendary image of a Dragon.

It was simply a chimera.

But its power was still extraordinary.

Powerful!

The power he had long anticipated!

“Hahaha!”

“Do you see it?”

“Do you feel it?”

“This is the true Dragon!”

“Those old fogies said I was taking an evil path!”

“They said I would destroy myself!”

“They are truly beyond foolish!”

Displaying his power officially for the first time, a hint of intoxication inevitably appeared in Qin Long’s eyes, especially as the hallucinogenic components in the drug made him spread his arms wide.

He had succeeded!

He had truly achieved Spirit Refining!

Even if it was incomplete!

Even if it burned his lifespan!

Even if there were irreversible side effects!

What did it matter!

His current state was enough to compensate for everything!

Right now, he was truly the number one in the world!

Recalling the path he had taken to get here, tears fell from the corners of Qin Long’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but sob.

“The four forms of bear, tiger, eagle, and leopard combined into one!”

“Now, I lack nothing!”

With an arrogant voice, he swung his arms rapidly.

The wind rose, and the silk threads trembled slightly.

The position of the ethereal silk was confirmed once again.

Qin Long’s gaze once again fixed fiercely on Ding Xie, a cruel smile appearing on his lips—

“I’m going to…”

Bang!

A fist.

Ding Xie’s fist struck Qin Long’s face.

The sound stopped abruptly.

The force went straight into his brain.

Amidst the ringing in his ears, Qin Long heard a tiger’s roar.

This punch left Qin Long dazed.

Tiger Fist. Ding Xie was using Tiger Fist.

Qin Long naturally recognized it.

But,

how could Tiger Fist be this fast?

And what was with this power?

“It’s not like this!”

“It shouldn’t be like this!”

“I was careless!”

“I must have been careless!”

Qin Long shouted as he spun through the air, unwilling to admit his defeat. Straining his waist and abdomen, the Qi and blood in his body surged and burned wildly, allowing him to maintain his balance even while airborne.

Subconsciously, Qin Long looked in Ding Xie’s direction.

But as soon as he looked up, he saw a knee.

Bang!

Ding Xie’s flying knee slammed hard into Qin Long’s face; the crystal goggles that could withstand bullets began to crack.

The immense force left Qin Long dizzy, his body uncontrollably leaning back, about to tumble through the air again, but he was forcibly yanked back by Ding Xie’s right hand.

Then, the knee strike came again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Once, twice, three times.

Crack!

Under the continuous impact, the crystal goggles finally shattered.

Fragments pierced Qin Long’s eyes, but before he could even scream, the barrel of the gun in Ding Xie’s left hand was shoved into his eye socket.

And then—

Bang!