Chapter Forty: Elemental Techniques

Qian Bo had barely run a short distance when someone darted at him from the side—it was Little Five, glowing with a vibrant orange aura.

"Out of my way!"

Swiftly drawing his longsword from the storage pouch, Qian Bo felt nothing but disdain. If the seventh-tier Qi Condensation cultivator Sun Huangkun had come to intercept him, he would have had no choice but to bow his head and await death. But this mere second-tier cultivator, thinking he could block his path? It was like a mantis trying to stop a cart.

Truly overestimating himself!

Still, Qian Bo dared not ignore him. Sun Huangkun could probably dispose of Luo Tian in the blink of an eye, and if he allowed himself to be entangled by this foolish brat, his chances of survival would diminish greatly.

Facing Qian Bo’s swinging longsword, Little Five showed no fear; instead, he looked eager, almost itching for a fight. He closed the distance, twisted his body in a strange, agile motion to dodge the blade, then flipped his palm—revealing a gleaming dagger.

Little Five’s Qi cultivation was inferior to Qian Bo’s, but he had trained in the Spirit Snake Movement, a secret physical technique that made his movements exceptionally nimble and unpredictable. Combined with a dagger suited for close combat, his lethality was not to be underestimated.

As his opponent drew near, Qian Bo became flustered. He was used to taking missions against magical beasts; he’d never encountered such fighting tactics before, and was naturally at a loss. Yet he was still a third-tier Qi Condensation disciple of the outer sect, and cultivation was not just for show—once he mobilized his Qi with all his might, his physical attributes improved further. Instinctively, he stepped back to widen the gap, then immediately thrust his sword forward.

But Little Five refused to meet him head-on, relying on his agility to circle Qian Bo, his gaze mocking and playful, like a cat toying with a mouse.

After speaking, Sun Huangkun’s aura suddenly shifted, as if he had merged with the earth itself.

Of course, it was only Luo Tian’s illusion; the chief of the Clearwind Bandit Gang still looked the same—head, feet, body unchanged. Yet, for reasons unknown, simply staring at him felt as if Sun Huangkun was no longer just a man, but a strange half-human, half-statue entity.

Luo Tian frowned, trying to suppress the odd sensation in his mind, but his efforts were in vain.

A faint golden light shot from Luo Tian’s eyes, enveloping Sun Huangkun completely. Luo Tian’s reasoning was simple: if it wasn’t a physical change, it must be related to energy.

If Qi was the culprit, how could it escape his Fiery Eyes?

Under the divine gaze, nothing could hide.

Luo Tian could clearly see that Sun Huangkun’s Qi flowed normally within his body, except for his feet, where there was a subtle, uncanny connection to the earth.

It almost seemed as if the two were becoming one.

Before Luo Tian could ponder further, Sun Huangkun let out a shout and shot forward like an arrow!

What speed!

Luo Tian’s eyes widened in shock.

Ever since Sun Huangkun’s feet underwent this strange change, his movement speed had surged by nearly half—he was a completely different person from moments before!

Is this the power of late-stage Qi Condensation?

Luo Tian had no time to think. He raised his sword horizontally, preparing to block.

The surge in speed and momentum, once translated into an attack, naturally increased the force behind it. But Luo Tian had ample confidence in himself. His late sixth-tier Qi Condensation cultivation, mastery of the Nine Beasts Fist—having thoroughly learned five magical beast forms—made his physique far superior to the average cultivator.

Clang!

Blade and sword met and parted instantly. The result was highly satisfactory for Sun Huangkun.

Luo Tian was knocked back six or seven paces, his face instantly drained of color, turning deathly pale. His muscles trembled uncontrollably.

"Ha! Boy, how was that strike?"

Sun Huangkun felt an immense satisfaction, as years of repression were released in this moment.

Outer sect disciples of humble origin often left after a little cultivation, enjoying a century of longevity and preferring to return home for a life of luxury rather than enduring the whims of others in the Divine Sun Sect. Some set out to roam the world, stepping into distant fields.

But Sun Huangkun stayed in the Divine Sun Sect for six or seven years. Returning home, he discovered his family murdered by bandits, his estate plundered. Already beset by misfortune within the sect, Sun Huangkun snapped, hunted down the mountain bandits in a bloody rampage, and later established the Clearwind Bandit Gang in their former lair, robbing and killing to his heart’s content.

Even so, Sun Huangkun’s heart remained heavy. Recently, he’d made some progress in his cultivation, and today, he could finally vent his frustrations on the talented outer sect disciples of the Divine Sun Sect, bringing him a measure of relief.

Inside Luo Tian, his Qi and blood churned uncomfortably, yet he was not seriously injured.

Body-refining secret arts enabled cultivators' flesh, blood, and bones to become denser with Qi’s aid, greatly enhancing both defense and resilience. Moreover, though the snake form of the Nine Beasts Fist was not renowned for defense, it had its own methods for countering forceful impacts.

That method was force redirection.

Luo Tian’s trembling muscles shifted imperceptibly, dispersing the residual force within his body, thereby reducing harm.

This insight came from battling snake-like magical beasts; fighting without weapons and relying solely on physical strength meant killing such beasts required much more effort.

He took a deep breath. Now, Luo Tian understood both Sun Huangkun’s and his own strength more clearly. He curled his lips into a smile, unconcerned. "Is that all?"

"Hmph, stubborn brat! Watch how I tear you apart!"

Sun Huangkun felt his Qi depleting rapidly and was unwilling to prolong the fight. He prepared to charge forward and finish off this arrogant youth.

Yet, just as Sun Huangkun moved, Luo Tian rushed up as well, showing no weakness, and his speed had improved noticeably.

Horse-type magical beasts were among the fastest on land. Luo Tian had carefully studied their movement, picking up a few tricks. Though human anatomy differed greatly from horses, it still gave Luo Tian a modest boost in speed.

His pure Qi surged like a tide, enveloped in a brilliant blue glow—clearly fighting with all his might.

Sun Huangkun sneered coldly, unafraid, and swung his blade.

In terms of raw physical strength, Luo Tian surpassed Sun Huangkun, and his body was superior as well. In a direct contest, Luo Tian gradually gained the upper hand.

Without the speed boost, Sun Huangkun began to feel at a disadvantage.

At first, Zhao Lin’er was fierce and confident, but soon, the flaws of her recently advanced strength became apparent. She only had experience fighting magical beasts, but compared to these bandits who lived by the blade, she lagged in both mentality and combat prowess.

Moreover, Zhou Gang was also a third-tier Qi Condensation cultivator, trained in body-refining techniques. What began as a playful scuffle turned serious when he saw several of his minions wounded; he now intended to subdue the young girl quickly.

Senior Brother

She stole a glance at Luo Tian, who was locked in a fierce duel with Sun Huangkun, sword and blade flashing. Qian Bo, meanwhile, was being toyed with by his opponent, unable to escape, and his adversary refused to engage directly. Furious, Qian Bo shouted in frustration, but was powerless.

Zhao Lin’er gritted her teeth, realizing she could count on no one. A faint resentment toward Qian Bo arose in her heart. Had he listened to Senior Brother Luo’s plan to eliminate the minions first, the ensuing three-on-three might not have been a death sentence. Instead, they split up, leading to this mess—a stupidity beyond measure.

With a shout, Zhao Lin’er thrust her sword into a bandit’s chest, but was struck on her left arm by Zhou Gang’s palm. Pain and force surged through her, nearly knocking her off balance.

"Brothers, charge together! This little girl is sweet—after the boss enjoys her, everyone gets a turn!"

Seeing his men hesitate, Zhou Gang encouraged them. He had no particular lust for women, but wanted to guard against her dying counterattack, so he coaxed the minions to willingly take the lead, promising them a reward.

Seizing an opportunity to evade Luo Tian’s attack, Sun Huangkun quickly retreated a few steps, widening the gap. He realized through their struggle that the youth had also trained in body-refining arts, explaining his obvious advantage in physical strength.

The Divine Sun Sect’s cultivation environment was indeed excellent, the surrounding hundreds of miles rich in Qi, all gathered by the sect. Unfortunately, it was too harsh for outer sect disciples of humble origin; if not for that, Sun Huangkun might never have left.

Thinking of the youth enjoying such privileged resources, Sun Huangkun felt a faint, almost imperceptible jealousy.

He decided to use a Qi technique to finish his opponent.

Relying solely on the speed gained from communion with the earth seemed insufficient. If so, he would overpower with force and kill him in one fell swoop!

"Boy, the Qi technique I’m about to unleash will see you dead on the spot!"

Sun Huangkun spoke coldly. He had reached the seventh-tier of Qi Condensation. Though he had expended much Qi already, he had just enough left to perform his technique.

He wondered if the Divine Sun Sect’s prodigy had any cultivation-aiding pills in his storage pouch.

At the very least, he could gain a low-grade magical weapon—no small prize.

Sun Huangkun licked his lips as the remaining Qi in his dantian surged forth, flooding his body.

Happy Qixi Festival, everyone! I have a date with two men tonight—will update later. Crying, it feels like three dogs together are worse than being single!