Chapter Eighty-Four: Relentless Pursuit

As Qi Fei and Sima Yan confronted each other, Elder Xu Zhenyang—who had survived under the oppressive force of the Supreme Sword Art by cultivating a Golden Martial Soul and using the Golden Mighty Body of the Seven Absolutes Sect to protect his heart—was covered in blood. With a thunderous shout, he released a dazzling golden light and hurled himself fiercely at Qi Fei.

Qi Fei sighed inwardly but showed no mercy. His sword flared with a fierce radiance, slashing down toward Xu Zhenyang’s arms.

Xu Zhenyang spat out a mouthful of black blood, yet with both palms he gripped Qi Fei’s sword, shouting, “Sect Master, return to Moonwatch Peak at once!”

Sima Yan dared not hesitate. Mobilizing his innate true energy, he sped toward Moonwatch Peak.

How could Qi Fei possibly allow Sima Yan to escape his grasp? Murderous intent surged within him as he unleashed his own innate energy. With a domineering punch from his left arm, he pierced through Xu Zhenyang’s skull, ending the elder’s resistance.

In the next instant, Qi Fei discarded his sword and pursued, his figure a fleeting afterimage. Before long, he intercepted Sima Yan’s path.

Sima Yan knew he was no match for Qi Fei, who now radiated the aura of a martial arts master at the peak of Innate Realm. His only hope was for Chu Yanran to intervene and help him escape this calamity.

A thought flashed through Sima Yan’s mind. He feigned terror and panic, his voice trembling: “Qi Fei, the Marquis has already returned from the frontier and has even ceded the spiritual vein occupied by the Xuan Zhen Monastery to my Seven Absolutes Sect. If you kill me, the Marquis will not let you go unpunished.”

Qi Fei let out a cold laugh. “So the esteemed Marquis values you so highly, Sect Master Sima? Yet if the Marquis discovers your secret dealings, even if I spare you today, he will not allow you to live.”

“Must you truly destroy us to the last man?”

Murder was already set in Qi Fei’s heart; how could he allow Sima Yan to stall for time? “Enough with your nonsense, old thief Sima—prepare to die.”

Qi Fei’s palms crossed, each punch exuding a fierce, overwhelming force. The barrage of fist shadows was like supreme sword energy, dozens of gales tearing through the air, attacking all of Sima Yan’s vital points.

With nowhere to run, Sima Yan had no choice but to grit his teeth and face Qi Fei’s onslaught head-on. The clash between two innate martial masters was thunderous; the mountain forest echoed with resounding explosions.

Sima Yan, his mind in chaos, engaged Qi Fei in a desperate contest of martial arts while gradually retreating toward Moonwatch Peak, hoping the commotion would alert Chu Yanran atop the peak and draw her intervention to kill Qi Fei.

Though Qi Fei had refined his arcane soul and advanced his innate energy, Sima Yan was a formidable opponent; killing him would not be easy.

In their duel, Sima Yan began to lose ground, suffering internal injuries from the insidious cold energy hidden within Qi Fei’s strikes. Still, as the master of the Seven Absolutes Sect, he relied on his deep reserves of true energy to stave off immediate death.

Yet Sima Yan felt increasingly uneasy. Surely their battle should have drawn disciples from the two great sects of Cangyun Mountain by now—so why had no one come to investigate?

Suddenly, Sima Yan perceived something amiss. Several yards beyond their clashing energies, a faint shimmering barrier was visible.

An arcane restriction—could it be that Zhuo Jin’er was assisting from the shadows? Panic overtook Sima Yan. Summoning all his strength, he drove aside Qi Fei’s assault.

“Wait! Is Miss Zhuo here as well? Do you also mean to drive me to extinction?”

Qi Fei’s heart tightened at these words. He, too, sensed the arcane restriction nearby. He and this witch of Yin-Yang Dao were merely using each other—hadn’t Zhuo Jin’er said she would let him face the Seven Absolutes Sect’s attack alone? Why had she now followed down the mountain to intervene?

Qi Fei paused, fixing his gaze on Sima Yan and waiting for Zhuo Jin’er to reveal herself.

In that moment, a stream of light flashed nearby, and Zhuo Jin’er appeared beside them in an instant.

“Sect Master Sima, you are mistaken,” Zhuo Jin’er laughed, her eyes brimming with mockery. “I only wished to keep others from disturbing your duel. Who is talking about annihilation?”

Sima Yan seethed inwardly but dared not make an enemy of her. If these two joined forces, he knew he would not escape with his life.

“Miss Zhuo, what will it take for you to spare me?”

Zhuo Jin’er glanced at Qi Fei, smiling slightly. “Sect Master Sima, you wished to silence us, and now you beg for mercy—how amusing!”

Sima Yan forced a bitter smile. “Miss Zhuo, I have never wished you harm. Qi Fei seized my spiritual medicine, and the Seven Absolutes Sect merely sought justice. Today, knowing I am outmatched, I am willing to offer the sect’s treasured ‘Creation Martial Canon’ in exchange for my life.”

An idea flickered in Qi Fei’s mind, and he spoke out: “Sect Master Sima, we have no deep enmity. Yet if you want us to spare your life, the ‘Creation Martial Canon’ alone may not be enough.”

Seeing hope, Sima Yan was secretly delighted. “The treasures of the Seven Absolutes Sect shall also be yours. I swear before Heaven: I will never seek your harm again, and should my disciples of the Seven Absolutes Sect meet those of your Danxia Sect, they will treat them with utmost respect.”

Qi Fei feigned hesitation. Zhuo Jin’er, watching, felt puzzled—would Qi Fei truly let Sima Yan escape for the sake of a martial canon and a few treasures?

Just then, Qi Fei said, “Today, I have slain many elders of your sect. Surely you hold a grudge; how can I trust you? If you wish to live, hand over the ‘Creation Martial Canon’ now.”

“It is hidden in the sect’s archives on Moonwatch Peak. If you—”

Qi Fei interrupted coldly, “With all your experts dispatched today, would you really leave your most precious treasure behind? During our fight, I sensed you concealed something in your robes—was it the ‘Creation Martial Canon’?”

Sima Yan cursed inwardly but was left with no choice. With a resolute gesture, he drew a manual from his robes. “The ‘Creation Martial Canon’ is here. I concede. If you take it, will you truly let me go?”

Qi Fei replied solemnly, “Rest assured, I keep my word. Hand over the ‘Creation Martial Canon’ and I will let you return to Moonwatch Peak.”

Backed into a corner, Sima Yan realized the martial canon was useless if his life was forfeit. Seeing Qi Fei’s sincerity, he tossed the manual to him.

Zhuo Jin’er watched in bafflement. Did Qi Fei intend to seize the martial canon, then kill Sima Yan anyway? Such treachery did not seem in line with his character.

After Qi Fei took possession of the ‘Creation Martial Canon,’ Sima Yan quickly asked, “May I leave now?”

“Not so fast.” Qi Fei tucked the manual away, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sima Yan erupted in fury. He had not expected a martial master like Qi Fei to break his word.

Qi Fei did not answer. Instead, he turned to Zhuo Jin’er. “Miss Zhuo, now that I have the ‘Creation Martial Canon,’ I have no further quarrel with Sect Master Sima. If he also offers the sect’s treasures, I imagine you would not trouble him further?”

Sima Yan was stunned, rage boiling within him. To be outwitted so thoroughly by Qi Fei was galling.

“How could I carry the sect’s treasures with me? You’re clearly making things difficult.”

Qi Fei smiled. “That is not my concern. Miss Zhuo, since we formed an alliance to deal with our enemies, would you not show me some of your Yin-Yang Dao arts today?”

Zhuo Jin’er shot Qi Fei an annoyed look, then laughed. “Well, you’ve gotten all the benefits. But why should I be the one to deal with Sima Yan?”

“I have given my word. Having received the ‘Creation Martial Canon,’ I will not trouble Sect Master Sima further. If you are not afraid Sima Yan will reveal your presence on Cangyun Mountain, you are free to let him go,” Qi Fei replied calmly, unfazed by Zhuo Jin’er’s displeasure.

“You truly intend to let the tiger return to the mountain? Is this only to test my cultivation?” Zhuo Jin’er eyed Qi Fei coldly.

Zhuo Jin’er remained unmoved, as if Sima Yan’s fate meant nothing to her.

Seeing the killing intent in Zhuo Jin’er’s eyes, Sima Yan dared not hesitate any longer and fled swiftly toward Moonwatch Peak.

“Fine, you win. Once I deal with Sima Yan, I'll settle accounts with you,” Zhuo Jin’er stomped her foot, incanted her arcane arts, and instantly blocked Sima Yan’s escape.

“Miss Zhuo—” Sima Yan began to plead, but Zhuo Jin’er gave him no chance. With a flick of her hand, two streams of light flared, and a thick blood mist surged through the air.

Sima Yan, already disoriented and internally wounded by Qi Fei’s cold energy, was no match for the Yin-Yang Dao arts. His innate power erupted, dispersing the blood mist with a fierce palm wind, but Zhuo Jin’er’s eyes gleamed with cruelty. Her arcane soul emerged, her form and the blood mist transforming into a fearsome Asura, pinning Sima Yan against a stone wall.

Qi Fei watched intently as the swirling blood mist closed in on Sima Yan’s faltering protective aura. Before long, Sima Yan faltered, his true energy exhausted, his defense fading. The blood mist, shaped by the arcane restriction, seeped into his defenses.

Sima Yan’s face changed dramatically as he pleaded for mercy, “Miss Zhuo, spare my life!”

With a flash of blood-red light, Zhuo Jin’er’s demonic form pierced his defenses, the mist flooding into Sima Yan’s body. Black blood burst from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose as he fell into madness.

His frenzied screams filled the air, his twisted face contorted in agony. Under the corrosion of the Yin-Yang Dao secret arts, his body gradually dissolved into a puddle of viscous blood, dying a dreadful death under Zhuo Jin’er’s arcane powers.

Qi Fei could not help but draw a sharp breath. This demonic art was indeed insidious—Zhuo Jin’er could so easily slay even an innate master. No wonder she dared scheme against the martial grandmaster Chu Yanran.

Zhuo Jin’er did not immediately withdraw her arcane soul. Her demonic form radiated a chilling aura as she approached Qi Fei.

“Now, give me an explanation.”

Qi Fei remained unflustered. “When I fought Sima Yan, I realized his cultivation had improved since before. No doubt he advanced by exploiting the spiritual vein of Moonwatch Peak, as you suspected. You never told me about the hidden affliction left on Chu Yanran—so the secret method of the Yin-Yang Dao, which forcibly draws spiritual energy to accelerate martial progress, also causes the new true energy to be unstable. No wonder you warned me never to fight Chu Yanran head-on.”

Zhuo Jin’er slowly withdrew her arcane soul, shooting Qi Fei a glare. “That’s right. Now that you understand, you should know how to deal with Chu Yanran in the future.”

Qi Fei nodded, unable to help but praise her. “Your Yin-Yang Dao arts are indeed formidable. If we join forces, even against a martial grandmaster like Chu Yanran, we might stand a chance.”

Zhuo Jin’er glanced toward distant Moonwatch Peak, a sly glint in her eyes. “Oh no! I’ve been tricked by you into killing Sima Yan, and I forgot to use an arcane restriction to mask my presence. No doubt Chu Yanran will sense something amiss. Shouldn’t you be running for your life?”

“You really are a tough one to deal with. Fine, you win!” Qi Fei’s heart tightened, and he immediately summoned his innate energy, dashing in the direction of Huaiyang Prefecture.

(P.S. Persevere! Persevere!)