Ming Qi's most important skill in killing is a single strike. Even if he only possesses a simple boning knife, he still constantly pursues the essence of a single strike.
Yue Zihe is a cultivator of the third level of the Acquired Realm, but in terms of strength and speed, he is no match for Ming Qi. This clearly shows that Ming Qi's fundamentals are incredibly solid. Just imagine, what cultivator would be willing to spend five years mastering the first or second level of the Acquired Realm?
Even a cultivator of average aptitude can reach the peak of the second level of the Acquired Realm within six months, with a 50% chance of successfully advancing to the third level.
Acquired Realm cultivation is relatively easy, something Ming Qi naturally understood.
So, he effortlessly and joyfully dispatched Yue Zihe with a single strike. What he considered a matter of course was, to others, earth-shattering.
Just as Ming Qi struck Yue Zihe's throat with a single blow, the shadowy figure across from him suddenly let out an incredulous cry of surprise.
Ming Qi had already recognized the shadowy figure as a woman and was about to approach to speak, only to see her twist her slender waist and fly like a night owl towards several tall carriages nearby.
"Swish!"
Ming Qi reached out to snatch the longsword from Yue Zihe's hand and was about to chase the shadowy figure when he heard two cold snorts from the large tent in the middle, and then two figures floated over.
In the blink of an eye, two men, one in front and one behind, blocked Ming Qi's path.
One of them was tall and slender with a square face, while the other was slightly shorter and more chubby. Needless to say, they were the other two disciples of the Lihuo Sect, Wei Chen and Qi Wenyue.
The moment they saw Yue Zihe's body on the ground, their faces darkened.
Wei Chen's weapon was a spear, gleaming with a cold, crimson light.
Wei Chen pointed his spear forward and declared, "Kill our Lihuo Sect disciple, and even if you ascend to heaven or descend to the depths of hell, you won't escape!"
"No need to waste time with him!"
Qi Wenyue's weapon was a pair of flying hammers, and upon contact, he launched them at Ming Qi's head.
The hammers struck with a powerful gust of wind, the force of each blow at least a thousand pounds.
Seeing the oncoming hammers, Ming Qi showed no fear. He thrust forward the longsword he had just seized, and with a swift, swift movement, he charged directly towards them.
At the same time, Wei Chen behind him swung his crimson spear, sending a dazzling shower of fire. As his spear unleashed its power, his body swiftly moved, his footsteps striking at a speed almost as fast as Ming Qi's!
Ming Qi, facing two opponents alone, dared not let his guard down. As he advanced to meet the chubby Qi Wenyue, he felt a gust of wind at the back of his head, his heart trembling.
"This man has probably reached the fifth level of the Acquired Realm. He's as light as a swallow and as swift as a horse!"
Sensing Wei Chen's strength, Ming Qi's mind raced. If he charged forward, he could kill the chubby hammer-wielding man, but his back would be vulnerable, leaving him vulnerable to a single spear strike.
Thinking of this, Ming Qi gritted his teeth, undiminishing the force of his sword. His body, charging forward, suddenly bent, his face tilted to the ground, his back slightly flattened.
"Crack!"
"Swoosh!"
In a flash, Ming Qi's sword slashed directly onto the iron chain connecting Qi Wenyue's hammer. Two streaks of black light shot out from his back; they were crossbow bolts.
Up ahead, Qi Wenyue saw Ming Qi dashing forward at incredible speed and severing the hammer's chain. Startled, he quickly threw another hammer and retreated.
Seeing Qi Wenyue retreat, Ming Qi snorted coldly. He raised his left hand, and with a clang of a spring from his sleeve, a barely discernible hidden arrow shot out.
Ding!
At this moment, the crossbow bolt Ming Qi fired from his back was deflected by Wei Chen's spear.
"Such a cunning thief!"
Wei Chen shouted coldly, his spear erupting again, sending countless bullets flying like flames.
Ming Qi didn't believe two crossbow bolts would injure Wei Chen. His goal was simply to disrupt the opponent's rhythm, and indeed, he gained the upper hand.
And the hidden arrow he fired from his sleeve was a truly soul-destroying blow.
Although Qi Wenyue was portly, he was also incredibly agile. Seeing the incoming hidden arrow, he broke out in a cold sweat, his body lurching to one side like a kite with its string cut.
Swish!
The hidden arrow, originally aimed for his throat, slashed a bloody gash on Qi Wenyue's right shoulder, oozing blood.
After firing the hidden arrow, Ming Qi ignored Qi Wenyue and turned, shaking his sword until it clashed with Wei Chen's spear.
The spear and sword collided, sending sparks flying!
"Ah..."
The two men had only clashed for a few seconds when Qi Wenyue let out a shrill cry.
"Wenyue!"
At Qi Wenyue's scream, Wei Chen swung his spear and dodged, leaping a few steps to his side.
Looking at Qi Wenyue now, his skin had turned pitch black, and the stench of decay continued to emanate.
"Such a vicious venom!"
Wei Chen knew at a glance that Qi Wenyue was beyond saving. Poisoned, even a powerful innate being couldn't save him.
"Same here! You've colluded with corrupt officials to exploit the people, acting with tyranny and cruelty. Even dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough to pay for your actions!"
In both past and present lives, Ming Qi hated two types of people: those who bully others with their power and are arrogant, and those who wield authority but are insatiable. Whether it was the Lihuo Sect disciples or the officials from Xiandu City, they were all on Ming Qi's list of the most hated.
"Hmph! You don't know how powerful our Lihuo Sect is. A mere mortal who doesn't know his place will be annihilated!"
Wei Chen remained confident.
"You, a mere ant in the Heart-Connecting Realm, have the right to be so arrogant?"
Wei Chen sneered, looking at Ming Qi like he was a monkey.
Hearing this, Ming Qi laughed instead of getting angry. This guy was about to die, yet he still hadn't realized anything.
"Hahaha, ant?"
Ming Qi didn't rush to attack, his longsword gripping his hand to guard against any sudden attack from Wei Chen.
"Lihuo Sect, what do you mean? One day, I'll crush your Lihuo Sect's mountaintops and kill not a single fly or flea!"
Ming Qi wielded his weapons with abandon, fearless as if everything was under control.
Suddenly, Ming Qi caught sight of someone moving behind him. With a quick misstep, he grabbed the person.
"Master Yuan, you're so impressive, aren't you? Why are you running away now?"
Ming Qi said coldly, looking at Yuan Wenlie, who was being held in his arms like a chicken.
"Master Wei, save me!"
Yuan Wenlie howled like a drake, his whole body shaking like a sieve, as if he were terrified.
"Utter worthless!"
Wei Chen looked at Yuan Wenlie, held in Ming Qi's arms. Far from being shocked, he was filled with disdain.
There were countless people in Xiandu City capable of replacing Yuan Wenlie. If Yuan Wenlie had a bit of backbone, Wei Chen might have taken action. But the chubby fellow lacked any nerve and simply withered.
"You!"
Seeing no hope of help, Yuan Wenlie struggled frantically.
However, Ming Qi's strength was immense, and he was decisive. He exerted force with his wrist, snapping Yuan Wenlie's neck with a snap of his five fingers. He then tossed his body aside like a sack.
"You're so cruel!"
Only then did Wei Chen realize that his supposed ruthlessness was nothing compared to the naive young man before him. He had betrayed friends for money, murdered brothers for status, and allied himself with sworn enemies to evade family discipline.
Yes, Wei Chen had always believed himself to be incredibly cruel.
But now he realized he wasn't nearly cruel enough.
"You don't understand!"
Ming Qi suddenly said in a tone of profound vicissitudes.
"I understand! It's all about profit."
Wei Chen sneered. At that moment, he felt that everything this man did was simply motivated by profit.
He, Wei Chen, thought he understood everything. At least in his understanding, once people were driven by profit, they would become ruthless. This seemed to be a universal truth, and no one could escape it.
"You understand? You know nothing! I'm telling you, everything a dead person says is unscientific!"
Suddenly, Ming Qi burst into a shrill laugh.
At that moment, Wei Chen felt as if he were starting to feel light, as if he were stepping on a cloud. Yes, that was the feeling.
Suddenly, Wei Chen jolted awake!
"You! How did you poison me!"
He understood. The other party must have taken advantage of him when he wasn't paying attention.
"You finally understand?"
Ming Qi smiled strangely, waving his sword provocatively.
"Damn it!"
Wei Chen wanted to move, whether to flee or attack. His instinct told him he had to, or he would die here, a humiliating death at the hands of an ant two realms below him.
"Don't waste your energy. This is the Soul-Lossing Induction, one of the Ten Poisons."
Ming Qi began to explain to Wei Chen.
"You are at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm. You are as light as a swallow and as swift as a horse. It's difficult to defeat you, so I had to resort to this desperate measure."
Ming Qi's words almost made him want to spurt blood.
At this point, the Soul-Lossing Induction's full medicinal properties had taken effect, and Wei Chen was staggering like a drunkard, barely able to hear what Ming Qi was saying.
"Alright, I've made myself clear. I'll send you on your way!"
Swish!
Ming Qi moved instantly, his figure flashing as he thrust his sword forward.
Boom!
The moment Ming Qi thrust his sword forward, a burst of flames erupted from Wei Chen's hand, and Wei Chen struggled to escape.
Seeing the sudden burst of blazing flames, Ming Qi knew the opponent held a divine talisman in his hand.
"Trying to escape!"
Knowing that Wei Chen was desperately trying to survive, Ming Qi took no chances. While dodging the divine talisman's flames, he swung his right sword forward, and a jet-black arrow flew out from his right sleeve.
Puff!
A thick flame swirled around, and Ming Qi's entire body was filled with a scorching smell. This divine talisman was forged from the fire energy of his innate spiritual energy, and its power was extraordinary. Even Ming Qi, with his formidable physique, suffered considerable damage.
However, that single arrow would surely kill Wei Chen.