12dz Vol. 1 - Ch. 288 - The Final Sword
Vol. 1 - Ch. 288 - The Final Sword
Once again, several streams of Gang Qi burst forth from his hand.This time, they targeted the three clansmen currently battling Shi Chengyi.
Sensing danger behind him, Chen Changming abandoned his attack. He shot swiftly into the air, attempting to evade the strike.
However, no matter how fast he moved, when he glanced downward, he realized that the armor covering his legs had vanished!
The force of the Gang Qi was so fast that it had directly severed his legs; it had not simply disappeared.
Although he was just a soul and could not feel pain, he could clearly sense his aura plummeting after losing his legs.
The strike had cut through his limbs and weakened his yin energy.
When he turned to look at Chen Xingba and Chen Xinghe, who were also besieging Shi Chengyi, the expression beneath his armor became utterly grim.
At that moment, the armor on both men had vanished completely, and their soul bodies had grown faint and fragile. All of this was the result of that single devastating Gang Qi strike!
This is the true power of a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm. Even if they can fly, a single strike is still enough to defeat them.
Not far away, Shi Hezhang remained calm, as though dealing with these men was trivial.
Indeed, that was the case!
Flight is the first advantage of a Qi Manipulation Realm martial artist, making them invincible against those beneath this realm.
However, the fundamental difference between the two realms is Gang Qi!
Gang Qi is an extension of blood and qi—the condensation and fusion of vital force.
The leap from quantity to quality lies between the two.
No matter how dense their blood and qi, Innate Realm martial artists must rely on martial techniques to unleash a certain degree of power. Even then, they cannot fight at a distance or strike distant targets.
Gang Qi, however, is different. Compared to ordinary blood and qi, Gang Qi is far more condensed and possesses far greater penetrative force.
Without martial techniques, a casual release of Gang Qi can wound an enemy dozens of meters away. When combined with techniques, its reach extends even farther.
Those who reach the Outer Gang Realm can envelop their entire body with Gang Qi, using it as protective armor. Their power increases dramatically as a result.
Although Shi Hezhang had only just stepped into the Inner Gang Realm, it was more than enough to handle the Chen Clan’s Innate Realm martial artists. He didn't even need to move.
Wherever he stood became the battlefield!
After eliminating several soul bodies, Shi Hezhang turned his gaze toward the Innate Realm martial artists of the Chen Clan fighting below.
As long as he defeated Chen Qingyu and the other two, the Chen Clan would be beyond salvation.
The armored soldiers posed far less of a threat to him than those three.
Below, Chen Xingzhen's face was slightly pale. In the fierce battle just moments ago, he had detonated every possible organ. If not for the extraordinary healing power of the Divine Tree, he would likely be in eternal slumber by now.
Initially, when his father’s clansmen joined the battle, Chen Xingzhen had felt a glimmer of hope for his family's survival. But after witnessing the scene just now, his heart was filled only with desolation.
The power of a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm was simply too terrifying—beyond anything the clan could resist. Even with the Divine Tree’s strength, they were powerless!
When Shi Hezhang looked at Chen Qingyu and the others, Chen Xingzhen called out a warning:
"Be careful..."
But before she could finish, a dazzling light suddenly erupted across the battlefield. The light was so intense that no one could keep their eyes open.
In that instant, every gaze was drawn toward it.
This was not Shi Hezhang’s attack, though. Rather, the light radiated from the bone in Chen Qingyu’s hand!
Several of the Shi Clan’s Innate Realm martial artists felt a tremor in their hearts from that seemingly ordinary piece of white bone. Even Shi Chengqiu, locked in combat with Chen Qingyu, halted and retreated several steps.
Above, Shi Hezhang, who had yet to strike, showed a rare trace of solemnity on his face. He sensed a thread of danger from that bone.
This danger was even more palpable than when he had previously fought the Chen Clan's incense-projected totem!
This was the instinct of a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm.
Looking up at the figure above, Chen Qingyu’s gaze remained steady. The white bone in his hand had absorbed the power of countless emotions throughout the battlefield and had finally reached its limit.
Boom! Boom…!
Four successive detonations echoed from within his body, and Chen Qingyu’s aura surged forth like an unleashed tiger.
Previously, when he fought Shi Chengyi and Shi Chengqiu, both of whom were late-stage Innate Realm martial artists, he had only relied on the Divine Tree’s power to entangle them. Though wounded, none of his injuries had been fatal.
He had endured until now for this very moment!
He had always known that only by eliminating Shi Hezhang, the Shi Clan’s Qi Manipulation Realm martial artist, could the Chen Clan be saved.
Chen Qingyu’s eyes gleamed with resolve as his aura reached its peak. At that moment, the bone in his hand had transformed into a sword, tempered and sharpened to perfection.
Its blade shone like the moon, radiant and dazzling. Sword light burst forth, brilliant as the stars.
Under the expectant gaze of the Chen Clan, Chen Qingyu swung the sword.
"Seven Emotions, Six Severances Sword—Strike!"
In an instant, a sword aura as bright as a crescent moon slashed upward toward Shi Hezhang. The sword carried the hopes of the clan, and Shi Hezhang's expression had likewise grown solemn.
Even the Shi Clan members were momentarily entranced by the brilliance and momentum of this strike.
It seemed as if every heart on the battlefield was cleaved by that sword aura!
In that moment, Shi Hezhang appeared to be a moth rushing into flames. Before he could react, he was engulfed by the sword's moonlike radiance.
Even the Shi Clan’s Innate Realm martial artists wore tense expressions, awaiting the outcome.
They could not imagine what would happen if Uncle He Zhang failed to withstand this blow. What would become of the clan in this great war?
The sword aura vanished in a flash. As the dazzling light faded and moonlight spilled across the battlefield once more, the scene above was revealed.
There, Shi Hezhang stood firm.
A massive stone phantom enveloped his body completely, and the Divine Stone in his hand radiated a brilliant glow.
The next moment, however, the sound of cracking echoed from Shi Hezhang’s hand. Several fine cracks appeared on the Divine Stone, yet it did not shatter.
Shi Hezhang paid no heed to the cracks. Instead, his gaze fell upon Chen Qingyu below. His face alight with joy, he exclaimed,
“Good, good, good! Truly a high-level martial technique!”
Seeing that Shi Hezhang was unharmed, the hearts of the Shi Clan members finally settled, and their faces brimmed with excitement.
Such a powerful attack had failed to harm their clan uncle at all—how could the Chen Clan possibly hope to win?
Shi Chengyi and the others were even more elated. If their clan could obtain such a formidable technique, praised even by Uncle He Zhang, their strength would surely rise, compensating for the losses suffered in this Great War.
In stark contrast, the Chen Clan’s warriors were utterly broken in spirit. Such a devastating strike failed to wound him—how could their family possibly withstand this?
"It's still not enough...?"
A flicker of disappointment flashed in Chen Qingyu’s eyes as he murmured softly.
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