parentshiftbook Chapter 21: Qi and Blood Released Outwards, Slicing Through the Night Sky!
Chapter 21: Qi and Blood Released Outwards, Slicing Through the Night Sky!
The roof beneath our feet suddenly exploded!
The moment the body odor hit him, Zhang Ping leaped toward the roof of the neighboring house, with Quan Hongyan close behind.
He Qiang and his companion were a beat too slow; a sharp claw suddenly appeared and ripped straight into their hearts!
In the face of death, the two instinctively raised their arms to block, using the force to fly backward off the roof, but their arms were left with deep claw marks that exposed the bone!
"A spirit fox!" Quan Hongyan exclaimed in shock.
Zhang Ping looked up and saw a jet-black fox, over two meters long, perched on the eaves, its bloodthirsty eyes fixed on them.
At the same time, screams, roars, and the chaotic sounds of weapons clashing suddenly erupted throughout the town.
Zhang Ping's heart sank; these fox demons actually dared to attack first!
"Attack! Kill it!" Quan Hongyan drew her longsword, its cold light pointing directly at the spirit fox!
Just as Zhang Ping was about to step forward to help, a sudden burning sensation shot through his forehead! At the same time, the hairs on the back of his body stood on end!
"How dare you!" Filled with shock and anger, he twisted his body and threw a punch!
During the mid-stage of body tempering, the qi and blood steam up and condense into a thin layer of red mist on the body surface. Underneath the red mist, fine lines suddenly appear on the skin.
Horse-leg animal pattern! Ox-powered animal pattern!
"唳——"
A tearing pain shot through the back of his fist. Zhang Ping gritted his teeth, not daring to loosen his grip, and his fist grazed the edge of the fox claw before slamming into a hard bone.
boom!
A dark shadow flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into half of the old house. Zhang Ping's arm was numb and tingling from the shock, his gaze fixed on the fox in the dust. It was slightly smaller than the one on the roof, but still a good 1.5 meters tall.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Seeing Zhang Ping being attacked, Quan Hongyan became anxious and immediately shouted at her stunned companion, "What are you all standing there for! Go help!"
"Oh...oh!" Having run escort missions for several years and experienced battles with demons, He Qiang suppressed his fear and rushed to Zhang Ping's side with his sword. Another disciple also gritted his teeth and followed.
"Brother Zhang, be careful. This beast is probably at the late stage of Body Tempering. You'll cover me later!" He Qiang sensed the ferocious aura emanating from the demon fox and dared not be careless in the slightest.
With his helper arriving, Zhang Ping breathed a slight sigh of relief, and the beast markings on his body quietly disappeared.
"Brother He, please be careful."
"Hmph, you beast, prepare to die!" He Qiang roared, his broadsword whistling as it slashed at the spirit fox that had just risen from the ruins.
"Mountain-Splitting Cleave!"
This strike draws upon all the vital energy in the body, aiming for a swift and decisive victory!
The fox in the ruins remained motionless, its face displaying an incredibly human-like mockery.
"Brother He, be careful!" Zhang Ping had just learned his lesson and hurriedly warned him.
He Qiang didn't care at all.
The next moment, a flash of white light appeared around the spirit fox, and its sharp claws lashed out, sending He Qiang flying backward with immense force!
"A nobody from the countryside?!"
He Qiang's eyes bulged out, and he took several steps in quick succession, leaving deep footprints on the bluestone ground before he could barely steady himself, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Are you kidding me? This fox is ridiculously strong?
He subconsciously looked at Zhang Ping.
It is common knowledge that demons are stronger than human martial artists. Just now, seeing Zhang Ping withstand a punch from the fox demon and seem unharmed, He Qiang thought that the fox was all show and no substance. Who would have thought it would be so ferocious?
that……
Meeting He Qiang's surprised and suspicious gaze, Zhang Ping's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Dude, I'm super strong by nature.
"What nonsense! Help me!" In the instant their eyes met, another disciple was already struggling to defend himself against the fox spirit's relentless attacks, facing imminent danger.
He Qiang and Zhang Ping were startled and immediately rushed to their aid.
The three of them should have been able to easily defeat a fox demon in the late stage of Body Tempering.
Before they could catch their breath, three more fox shadows emerged from the darkness—one large and two small!
"Another refined flesh spirit fox! That damned country bumpkin!"
Upon seeing the leader of the Flesh Refining Realm cultivator, who was accompanied by two Body Tempering Fox Demons, He Qiang cursed loudly!
Zhang Ping was also so shocked that his eyelids twitched, and the burning sensation in his forehead did not lessen at all.
"All of you, move closer!" Quan Hongyan gritted her teeth and darted in front of the three like lightning, her long sword pointing horizontally.
The five fox demons formed a fan shape, drool dripping from their sharp teeth, emitting a pungent, fishy smell.
The four were on edge, their ears filled with the distinct sounds of fierce fighting coming from all directions of the town.
That night, countless fox spirits slithered in, and countless people perished in their jaws.
Quan Hongyan took a deep breath, suppressing her churning blood, and said in a deep voice, "Stay calm! Wait for Master to come to our rescue!"
Before she finished speaking, she let out a clear roar, and the sword light surged!
"Demon-Slaying Sword Technique!"
One man, one sword, bravely faced two spirit foxes at the Flesh Refining Realm! The remaining three could only be left to Zhang Ping and his two companions.
Knowing the danger of the situation, Zhang Ping took a deep breath, and the red mist of blood and qi surged again, covering his body. In addition to his divine power, he activated all the power of his beast patterns!
A fierce battle has broken out!
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding houses were razed to the ground like paper. The ordinary people inside either screamed and ran away, or were buried by the collapsed beams and rubble, their fate unknown.
At this moment, no one has time to think about anything else.
When martial artists break free of their restraints and unleash their full power, brick walls collapse and the ground tears apart.
The stone slabs and soil beneath their feet tumbled and crumbled amidst the flashing swords, clashing fists, and claws.
Zhang Ping glanced at the battlefield out of the corner of his eye. Quan Hongyan was fighting two flesh-refining foxes alone, her swordplay fierce and she even had a slight advantage; He Qiang and his companion were being forced to retreat step by step by the two body-tempering foxes, struggling to hold on. His mind raced.
The fox's ability to conceal itself was of great benefit to him. However, killing it directly would be too shocking.
After all, he was only a martial artist in the middle stage of Body Tempering on the surface. Being able to withstand the claws of a spirit fox in the late stage of Body Tempering was already the limit of his innate divine strength. If he were to kill a demon again, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
"No, we have to lure it away!"
With this in mind, Zhang Ping deliberately feigned exhaustion, fighting and retreating while subtly leading the entangled fox away into the distance.
Although the fox spirit possesses intelligence, it is far from being able to understand people's hearts. Furthermore, driven by its bloodthirsty nature, it was easily lured away.
The battlefield shifted to the east of the town, where the sounds of fighting were sparse. Most of the night patrol warriors rushed to other places to provide support, and the surviving civilians kept their doors and windows tightly shut, remaining deathly silent.
"Screech—" The spirit fox screeched, its sharp claws tearing through the air as it once again lunged for Zhang Ping's throat!
This time, Zhang Ping stopped dodging. A cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and a fierce and violent aura exploded from his body!
Sizzle—
The sound of tearing cloth was clearly audible!
The three-meter-tall, bronze-yellow body, gleaming with a dark luster, suddenly rose up!
Its ferocity is overwhelming!
"die!"
An arm, thicker than a fox's waist, crashed down with the force to crush rocks!
The timing was perfect; the power of the Flesh Refining Realm surged forth, rendering the spirit fox's sharp claws as powerless as a woman's itch.
boom!!!
Zhang Ping's giant hand pressed down on the spirit fox's head, slamming it into the ground!
click-
The cracking sound of the skull shattering was particularly jarring in the silent night.
"It's resolved." Zhang Ping uttered a few words, deactivated his state, and quickly grabbed a tattered skirt from the collapsed corner of the house to cover his lower body.
"Looks like I should try not to transform in crowded places in the future, it's kind of embarrassing." He touched his nose, reached out and pulled the fox corpse out of the pit, weighing it in his hand.
The fur is glossy and smooth, and it's wide and large; it would be excellent for making a bed.
"I wonder where that ability to conceal one's aura is hidden?" With that thought, he silently recited in his mind, "Beast markings, concealing aura."
[Mythical Beast Spirit Fox] [Aura Concealed]
[Spirit Fox Concealment: Conceals its aura and hides its vital energy.]
【Materials needed: 10 catties of spirit fox flesh and blood, black gold stone, white flower, demon spirit plant, awakening grass】
"This description... is too simplistic?" Zhang Ping frowned.
This was the first exotic beast pattern he had ever obtained, yet the description of its characteristics on the panel was so stingy.
Is the fox spirit's ability to hide merely a facade?
But then he thought again and shook his head in denial: "No, these beasts are able to sneak into the town by avoiding the heavy night patrols; their ability to hide is by no means ordinary."
Alright, let's gather the materials first, brand the beast pattern, and then make further plans. Since we need the flesh and blood of a spirit fox, the branding site must be on the flesh itself.
"Dispose of the body first." Zhang Ping picked up the fox carcass and was about to leave.
Suddenly!
He suddenly looked up and gazed at the center of the town.
A crimson blade of energy, tens of meters long, tore through the night sky and shot into the heavens! Accompanying it was the spirit fox's mournful howl.
The thick night clouds were cleaved apart by the fierce, blood-red light, revealing a clear, cold moon behind them.
"Qi and blood are being released! The sect leader has made his move!" Zhang Ping was shocked. Was this the strength of a martial artist in the Refining Realm?