Really Wonderful

As the words faded, a murderous aura filled the air!

Zhao Wuji clutched the wound of his severed arm, his face pale as paper.

But in those eyes burned a monstrous rage born of humiliation.

Who was he?

He was the Patriarch of the Zhao family!

He was the public ruler of this Great Desolate Mining Area!

He was a grand cultivator at the mid-stage of the Soul Formation realm!

And now, he was being pointed at and threatened with death by a Golden Core ant who had just ascended from the lower realm?

And who even threatened to make an orphan out of his proud prodigy son?

"Arrogant!"

Zhao Wuji laughed in extreme anger, his voice hoarse and ear-piercing, like the cry of a night owl.

"Truly the methods of a demonic cultivator. That baleful aura of yours is quite intimidating!"

"But have you forgotten something?"

Zhao Wuji released the hand clutching his wound, letting the blood drip down.

He slowly straightened his back. The terrifying coercion of a Soul Formation cultivator, even under heavy injury, remained as imposing as a massive mountain.

"Demonic cultivators advance at god-like speeds, neglecting their state of mind and foundation, relying entirely on external forces to devour and plunder!"

"In a battle of the same realm, a demonic cultivator might be able to act fiercely for a time relying on bizarre methods."

"But between you and me..."

Zhao Wuji stretched out his remaining left hand and made a pressing motion in the air toward Su Ji.

"There is a gap of two whole major realms!"

"A mere Golden Core wants to defy the heavens and slay a mighty Soul Formation cultivator like me?"

"Are you still dreaming, or has this baleful aura rotted your brain?"

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Rumble—!

Following Zhao Wuji's motion, the ground at the bottom of the abyss began to tremble violently.

Countless hideous fissures spread madly in all directions with him at the center.

Earth-yellow spiritual energy surged from beneath the ground, transforming into a sandstorm that blotted out the sky and the sun.

That was no ordinary wind and sand.

Every single grain of dust weighed as much as a thousand catties.

"Winds and Sands Arise!"

The sandstorm formed in an instant, resembling an angry earth-yellow dragon roaring and coiling at the narrow bottom of the abyss.

Su Ji only felt his body suddenly sink.

The fierce wind was like a blade, cutting his cheeks painfully, and he was almost blown away directly by this terrifying storm.

Is this the Soul Formation realm?

Even with a severed arm, even after having most of his vitality sucked dry by an immortal artifact, he still possessed this earth-shattering might?

"Senior Brother! Can we win?"

Within his body, Su Jiu's voice sounded somewhat anxious.

"Don't be afraid."

Su Ji took a deep breath, his feet firmly nailed to the ground as if they had taken root.

The Desolate Meteor Fallen Dragon Art within his body circulated madly, and the Heavenly Palace Golden Core within his dantian's sea of qi trembled to the extreme, letting out an overwhelmed hum.

At the same time, streams of warm currents continuously surged from Su Jiu's side, perfectly fusing with his own spiritual energy, turning into an even more violent fuel that was fed into the furnace known as Su Ji.

"Old thing."

Su Ji braved the sky-filling sandstorm and forcefully took a step forward.

With every step he took, he stomped a deep footprint into the hard rock.

"Realm?"

"I specifically fight those of higher realms!"

"It is so damn sick, I have not had a single chance to bully the weak all the way up to now!"

The red light in Su Ji's eyes surged.

Pink flowing light intertwined with Su Ji's spiritual energy, which he had disguised as dark red.

Behind him, a phantom of a nine-tailed fox bearing its fangs and brandishing its claws vaguely condensed.

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji let out a strange cry, "Nine-tailed fox? The legacy of Immortal Venerable Haoyue is indeed on you, boy!"

"Bullshit, this is all my own talent and hard work."

Su Ji hesitated no longer. His entire body turned into a bolt of dark red lightning. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging head-on into that terrifying sandstorm!

At this moment, he was an arrow released from the bowstring!

There was no turning back!

"Courting death!"

Seeing this, the killing intent in Zhao Wuji's eyes intensified.

He pressed his left hand down fiercely.

"Thick Earth Burial!"

Boom—!

That roaring earth-yellow angry dragon, carrying a momentum that could crush everything, smashed down right onto Su Ji's head!

The earth churned, and rock layers cracked apart.

Even the surface of the mining area tens of miles away could feel this terrifying tremor.

Facing this strike that was like the wrath of heaven.

The Fallen Dragon Spear in Su Ji's hands let out a high-pitched, impassioned dragon roar!

As if showing disdain for this earth dragon.

Roar—!!!

Dark red spiritual energy, like a dragon and a rainbow, madly wrapped around the spear shaft.

The surrounding air was compressed to the extreme at this moment, emitting crackling explosive sounds.

Su Ji poured all of his essence, energy, and spirit, along with Su Jiu's unreserved support, completely into this one thrust!

There were no flashy techniques.

Only pure power!

"Piercing the Sun!"

Su Ji shouted explosively, and the long spear in his hand turned into a crimson rainbow that pierced through heaven and earth, ruthlessly crashing into the mouth of that earth-yellow angry dragon!

Rumble—!!!

Two completely different forces collided explosively in mid-air.

For a time, the world lost its color.

A terrifying shockwave swept in all directions, forcefully scraping off layer after layer of the surrounding hard rock walls.

Even the Pavilion Master of Tingfeng, who had been standing in the distance watching the show, had to wave his sleeve to set up a barrier to block the sky full of flying rubble and dust.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring the view.

Everything seemed to stand still at this moment.

Only that muffled sound of impact still echoed in the ears.

A moment later.

A figure flew backward out of the billowing smoke and dust, smashing heavily into the ground and rolling over ten times before barely coming to a stop.

It was Su Ji.

He looked rather wretched at this moment.

The clothes on his body were torn, revealing the lean, muscular physique underneath.

A trace of blood hung from the corner of his mouth, and the webbing of his hands gripping the spear was a bloody mess.

"Cough, cough..."

Su Ji coughed violently, and every cough brought up a mouthful of bloody froth.

The Pavilion Master of Tingfeng frowned.

Is this all the skill he has?

It seems a bit disappointing...

No...

Even though Su Ji was injured.

He was smiling.

Smiling recklessly, smiling arrogantly.

He used the long spear to prop himself up against the ground and stood up unsteadily.

"Soul Formation..."

Su Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Is nothing more than this."

As his voice fell.

The smoke and dust ahead slowly dispersed.

Revealing Zhao Wuji's figure.

He was still standing in the same spot.

Maintaining the posture of pressing down with one hand.

Only...

There was an extra, gaping hole right through his chest.

The heart that should have been there had disappeared, leaving only an empty bloody hole that was gurgling out fresh blood.

Zhao Wuji lowered his head, staring blankly at the large hole in his chest.

His elegant face was written with disbelief and bewilderment.

He... lost?

Lost to a Golden Core stage brat?

"This... this is impossi..."

"Why..."

"I clearly should have blocked it..."

Before he could finish his words.

Zhao Wuji's body swayed, and like a puppet drained of all its strength, he fell stiffly backward.

Bang!

The corpse smashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

This Patriarch of the Zhao family, who had thrown his weight around the mining area and schemed his entire life, dreaming of his family's rise.

Just like that...

Died at the hands of an ant he had never even looked at properly.

Dying with his eyes wide open.

Su Ji looked at Zhao Wuji's corpse and let out a breath of foul air.

He won.

Although he won a bit wretchedly.

But a win is a win.

"Phew..."

Su Ji turned around and looked at the white-robed figure who had been standing in the shadows.

The Pavilion Master of Tingfeng remained as immaculate as ever.

He looked at Su Ji, and then at Zhao Wuji's corpse on the ground.

Then.

He slowly began to clap.

Clap, clap, clap...

Crisp applause.

"Brilliant."

The Pavilion Master of Tingfeng wore an unfathomable smile on his lips.

"Truly brilliant."

"A Golden Core cultivator striking down a Soul Formation expert..."

"If word of this gets out, your name will probably resound throughout the entire Canghuang Realm."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and walked toward Su Ji.

With every step he took, the pressure weighing on Su Ji's heart grew heavier.

"However..."

The Pavilion Master of Tingfeng stopped ten paces away from Su Ji.

A merchant's shrewdness flickered within those bright eyes.

"It seems you have already obtained what you wanted."

His gaze lingered for a moment on the faint pink flowing light enveloping Su Ji's body, and a meaningful smile curled his lips.

"And... the harvest is quite substantial."

"But... Zhao Wuji is dead."

"Su Hao."

He called out Su Ji's alias, his tone as gentle as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Zhao Teng will be arriving soon."

"The enmity of killing his father, the hatred of obstructing his Dao."

"I'm afraid only one of you can live."