Chapter 754: Chapter 754

"He was waiting for me on purpose!"

From the moment Qin Sang first encountered Cui Ji and began traveling with him, he had remained on guard. Regardless of Cui Ji’s intentions, Qin Sang had resolved never to give him any opening.

With vicious beasts prowling on all sides, it was still uncertain whether they could even escape. That Cui Ji would start an internal conflict at such a time was something Qin Sang had not expected.

What puzzled him even more was how the Bone Lotus had ended up in Cui Ji’s hands.

Xiang Yi was arguably the strongest among the eight cultivators present. Qin Sang knew he was no match for him. Even when facing that subterranean beast, Xiang Yi should not have died and lost his treasure so quickly.

Unless something else had happened!

A flicker of doubt arose in Qin Sang’s heart, followed by a faint sense of unease.

A cascade of purple light surged toward Qin Sang, blotting out his vision.

The radiance unleashed by the Purple Nether Orb could be as soft as silk or as fierce as blades. It had once formed a cage that easily trapped the flying yaksha. Now, it had turned as sharp and forceful as sword qi.

The purple glow flowed like a shimmering ribbon. Qin Sang had no doubt that if it struck him directly, his body would be riddled with holes.

Cui Ji had clearly been preparing this ambush for a long time, while Qin Sang was caught completely off guard.

The distance between them was far too close, and Qin Sang was still surrounded by Purple Star Eagles. Cui Ji had chosen the perfect moment to strike. There was simply no way to dodge.

Qin Sang’s expression turned grim. His first instinct was to open the Corpse Puppet Pouch.

The flying yaksha had just leapt out when the purple light descended.

Thick corpse qi gathered in front of the yaksha’s chest. It stepped between Qin Sang and the blast, its fierce eyes wide open, facing death unflinchingly.

Unfortunately, there was too little time. The corpse qi had not yet formed a proper shield and was still thin and fragile. The purple light broke through it instantly and scattered it like smoke.

All that remained was the yaksha’s body.

Though its flesh was extremely tough, it had its limits. Cui Ji was already at the peak of the middle stage, stronger than he had been twenty years ago, and the power of the Purple Nether Orb was on a completely different level now.

The yaksha’s body was pierced through in several places, large holes torn open by the purple glow. The sight was wretched beyond words.

In that critical instant, Qin Sang had done his best to help the flying yaksha avoid vital points, but the battle was too dangerous. He could neither confirm nor worry about the yaksha’s condition.

Even so, it had managed to block part of the attack and bought Qin Sang a precious moment.

He frantically poured true essence into the Golden Radiance Armor, golden light bursting from his body. A thick armor of light condensed around him, making him look like a battle god.

Qin Sang was struck with immense force. His face went pale as he was sent flying, crashing into a Purple Star Eagle.

The eagle fared even worse. First it was injured by Qin Sang’s impact and knocked unconscious. Then, it was pierced through the heart by a ray of purple light and died instantly.

In the next moment, Qin Sang and several Purple Star Eagles were swallowed by the purple glow.

A harsh metallic sound rang out.

Within the purple radiance, Qin Sang crashed to the ground with a muffled grunt. Purple light spread across his chest. His face was completely drained of color, and his robe had burst open, revealing the Golden Radiance Armor beneath.

At the center of the armor’s chestplate, a deep dent had formed, surrounded by tiny cracks spidering outward in all directions.

Two streaks of purple light had struck the same spot in succession.

The Golden Radiance Armor itself had actually sustained damage.

If not for the armor, Qin Sang’s fate would have been dire.

Cui Ji’s ambush had been sinister and precise. If Qin Sang had not responded in time, there would have been more than just a dent and cracks. The armor, which was forged from material comparable to a middle-grade astra, might have been completely destroyed.

Qin Sang clenched his jaw, forcibly suppressing the chaotic flow of blood and qi inside him. Just as he tried to rise and recover, a flash of white light appeared behind the purple glow. It was a flying saber.

The white light was the blade’s gleam. Its body was like an autumn ripple, and its speed surpassed the purple glow. Like lightning, it shot straight for Qin Sang’s neck.

The saber’s form was slender and graceful, its upward-curving tip extremely sharp. It was undoubtedly a deadly weapon.

Twenty years ago, Cui Ji had not possessed such an astra. It must have been a recent acquisition.

There had been a flying saber behind the purple light all along.

This was the true killing blow, and it was exceedingly vicious. It came just as Qin Sang had blocked the purple radiance, at the brief moment when his guard was lowered. It struck like lightning, arriving in an instant.

Qin Sang’s expression changed. The purple light had still been within his calculations, which was why he had not summoned the Two-Headed Hou to help. He had originally intended to surprise Cui Ji.

Now, it was already too late to release it.

A sharp sword cry tore through the air.

The ebony sword erupted into view, accompanied by a thunderous roar. At the same time, the Jiao spirit coiled around Qin Sang’s body, glowing with radiant red light.

He was still in a fallen position, not even having had the chance to rise, yet he activated both his sword evasion technique and the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, unleashing his peak speed.

The flying saber sliced toward his neck.

In that breathless instant, Qin Sang’s body sprang upward. He could already feel a chill along his throat. The icy blade nearly brushed his skin.

He narrowly avoided the vital spot, but still could not dodge the blow entirely. In the end, he was injured.

A searing pain flared in his shoulder as blood gushed forth.

The flying saber had cleaved deep into his shoulder, slicing through flesh and nearly severing the entire arm. Bone was exposed, and the blade was stained crimson.

His arm hung limp. Within his body, his true essence surged violently, repelling the exhausted saber and sending it flying.

Agony twisted across Qin Sang’s face as he clenched his teeth tightly, glaring at Cui Ji with ferocious intensity.

Cui Ji, on the other hand, looked utterly shocked. He had known Qin Sang possessed excellent evasion speed and could even keep pace with Xiang Yi, but he had never expected Qin Sang to suddenly burst forth with such astonishing speed. It was faster than anything he had shown before. It was even fast enough to dodge a killing blow.

The injury looked horrific, but for a cultivator, it was not necessarily fatal. As long as he could purge the residual saber qi from the wound, the healing process would be swift.

Yet Cui Ji grinned broadly, his face full of confidence.

No matter how good his evasion techniques were, it would change nothing.

This was the Purple Mist End, unlike any ordinary place. The surrounding poisonous mist was endless. That strike just now had not only cut through Qin Sang’s arm, it had also broken through his defensive spiritual light.

The poisonous mist, mingled with saber qi, had already invaded his body.

A disaster on top of disaster.

Poison had entered his internal organs, beyond the reach of medicine.

Unless Qin Sang immediately circulated his cultivation art to suppress the saber qi and force the poison out, his situation would only worsen.

But neither the Purple Star Eagles nor Cui Ji would ever give him that chance.

Cui Ji extended his hand and recalled the flying saber.

That weapon was an astra he had acquired at great cost, and he feared it might be contaminated by Qin Sang’s strange technique.

"Heretic, today is the day you die!"

Cui Ji’s expression turned wild as he gave free rein to his madness.

With the Purple Nether Orb in hand, he launched another assault, giving Qin Sang no chance to breathe. He didn’t need to kill him outright. As long as he kept pressing him, Qin Sang would succumb to the poison on his own.

It had been a long time since Qin Sang was forced into such a perilous situation by someone of the same cultivation realm. Ever since forming his core, he had almost always crushed any opponent at a similar realm with ease, thanks to his many means.

Even so, he had to admit that Cui Ji’s scheming was deep, his timing flawless, and his killing move was frighteningly powerful. It had broken through his defenses. The source of thɪs content is novelFirｅ.net