Volume 3 Chapter 70: Battle

Witnessing the sudden change on the field, not only were Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang shocked, but they wanted to assist, yet it was too late because speed wasn’t their strength, leaving them anxiously worried.

Even the Jiuhua elders and senior demons watching from the sky showed mixed expressions, reflecting both joy and concern.

Unlike the others who focused on the duel in front of Jiuhua Palace, Zhang Hualing watched Zhang Xusheng’s expression; he still found Zhang Xusheng’s proposed wager mysterious and more than just gaining an advantage in the duel.

Observing closely, Zhang Hualing was surprised to find Zhang Xusheng not pleased with the evolving situation but rather the calmest among those present. Despite appearing concentrated, his gaze seemed to wander, as if unconcerned about the duel’s outcome, contemplating other matters.

Suddenly, sensing something, Zhang Xusheng turned and gave Zhang Hualing, who was watching him, a slight smile, then continued observing the duel. Compared to when Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind appeared, he now seemed more confident, creating an impression of having everything under control.

This feeling intensified the shadow lingering in Zhang Hualing’s heart.

Meanwhile, at the Linghua Hall duel, upon noticing a flaw in Xu Qingfan’s defense, Number 4 instinctively maximized his speed, lunging at Xu Qingfan with extended fingernails like sharp blades aimed at Xu Qingfan’s chest.

As he leapt, Number 4 felt a sense of unease, suspecting the flaw Xu Qingfan showed was too obvious, and his success seemed too easy. It was uncharacteristic of Xu Qingfan’s previous cunning, raising the suspicion of a possible trap.

But Number 4 paused for a moment and thought he might be overthinking things. According to his prediction, Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi must be depleted by now. Even if Nangong Qingshan was no genius, Xu Qingfan couldn’t easily deal with him. Besides, even if Xu Qingfan was trying to lure him into a trap, there was no need to leave such a glaring weakness at his chest. Such a move, even if successful, could be at the cost of Xu Qingfan’s life, making it hardly worthwhile. Moreover, Number 4 was confident that with his speed, he could retreat safely if anything went wrong.

Xu Qingfan’s subsequent actions confirmed Number 4’s suspicions. Just as Number 4 rushed towards him, the green dragon that had been circling Xu Qingfan suddenly vanished. This revealed that Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi was insufficient to maintain the dragon guard form in the "Green Spirit Arm Protector."

Seeing this change in Xu Qingfan, Number 4 grew certain, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He increased his speed as he pounced toward Xu Qingfan, and in an instant, he was right in front of him.

Though the description covers much, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

No sooner had the flaw in Xu Qingfan’s defense appeared, Number 4 was beside him, his defenses completely gone. The five sharp claws from Number 4’s transformed fingertips were thrust fiercely towards Xu Qingfan’s left chest, aiming for his heart.

Yet, faced with such peril, Xu Qingfan did not sit idly by. The moment he noted Number 4’s attack, he pushed off the ground with his uninjured left leg, quickly retreating backward. Just before Number 4’s attack landed, he managed to move back three feet.

Number 4 was incredibly fast, and the three-foot distance was covered in an instant, delaying him by only a fraction of a second.

But even that little time was enough to accomplish many things.

Seeing his claws tearing through Xu Qingfan’s clothes, the bloodthirsty gleam in Number 4’s eyes intensified. He could almost imagine the scene of tearing open Xu Qingfan’s chest and pulling out his heart, feeling the hot blood flow through his fingers, just like with the countless others he had slain before.

Although Number 4 had experienced this scene countless times, just thinking about it still made Number 4’s heart inexplicably tremble.

But the moment imagination turned into reality, Number 4 suddenly froze.

"Ding…"

A clear, ringing sound of metal clashing echoed, and in Number 4’s ears, this small clash was no less than a thunderous boom.

Through Xu Qingfan’s torn clothes, Number 4 could vaguely see a hidden "iron cattail leaves" within, which, at the critical moment, blocked Number 4’s deadly strike.

The "iron cattail leaves" is one of the unusual plants Xu Qingfan often uses, known for its extreme hardness, can defend against sword and spear attacks, and requires very little Spirit Qi to operate, making it very quick to deploy. However, in battles between cultivators, the weak defensive power of the "iron cattail leaves" is of little use, and Xu Qingfan often deploys hundreds or even thousands at once to gain an advantage through numbers. A single piece, however, has little significance in a cultivator’s duel.

But this time, the situation was different. Number 4 excelled at spewing poisonous sand and controlling sandstorms. Although he preferred and was used to swift battles relying on speed, close combat was not his forte. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been at such a disadvantage just now, facing Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang’s consecutive basic defenses.

It was precisely because of this that this single "iron cattail leaves," combined with Xu Qingfan’s mastered "Turtle, Elephant, Leopard," managed to block Number 4’s killer move.

As it turns out, despite Xu Qingfan’s substantial Spirit Qi depletion after continuous battles, he was still far from being unable to maintain the "Green Spirit Arm Protector." The flaw he showed earlier was indeed meant to lure Number 4 into striking.

When Number 4 made a move, Xu Qingfan didn’t hesitate. He completely removed the defense of the Green Spirit Arm Protector and quickly retreated to gain time. He focused on casting "The Formula of Wither and Flourish" to form "iron cattail leaves" in front of his chest.

Finally, at the moment when Number 4 was about to kill him, the "iron cattail leaves" materialized. Although only one leaf formed due to the urgency, it proved to be incredibly effective.

This strategy might sound simple, but in practice, it was extremely dangerous. Xu Qingfan intentionally revealed a vulnerability at his chest to ensure Number 4 would attack. If Xu Qingfan had been just a bit slower, he would have met his end.

Xu Qingfan, after closely observing Number 4’s attacking patterns, realized Number 4 mostly targeted the chest. Number 4 seemed strangely fixated on piercing this area. Hence, Xu Qingfan only created "iron cattail leaves" to protect his chest, leaving other areas unguarded. If Number 4 had decided to target his head or neck instead, Xu Qingfan would have been doomed.

In summary, even though the plan largely succeeded, when Xu Qingfan recalled the dangers, he couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. He wondered if he would make the same choice again.

As for Number 4, the moment he felt his attack blocked, he was startled. He wanted to retreat quickly, but the recoil from his nails hitting the "iron cattail leaves" caused a slight pause, delaying him for just a brief moment.

Xu Qingfan seized that moment, enduring the pain in his chest. His hands surged with power as he used a worldly grappling technique to grab Number 4’s right arm tightly. Meanwhile, employing his family’s martial arts "Turtle, Elephant, Leopard," he unleashed a tremendous force. Even with Number 4 merged with Xuansha, one of the four great serpents, he couldn’t break free immediately.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone watching.

"Junior Brother Jin, Senior Brother Lv, why are you still standing there?" Xu Qingfan shouted urgently, reminding the stunned Jin and Lv.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s shout, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang were suddenly startled awake, but they didn’t dare pause even for a moment. They immediately used their unique skills to help Xu Qingfan win the battle.

Jin Qinghan snorted coldly, his fingers moved quickly, and a golden, radiant sword appeared before him. Without hesitation, he swiftly thrust it towards Number 4’s chest, clearly frustrated by Number 4’s fierce attacks aimed at his heart earlier.

Lv Qingshang, however, looked serious, waving his hands. Dozens of charms appeared, forming a colorful barrier that stood between the two Sethrak and their group, clearly afraid the two Sethrak might try to rescue their companion at this moment.

When Number 4 sensed the golden sword from Jin Qinghan coming at him, he was greatly alarmed. He wanted to dodge but found that Xu Qingfan’s grip was too strong, making it impossible to break free quickly. As the golden sword neared, he could even feel a faint pain on his back from its sharpness. In a moment of clarity, Number 4 turned his head and spat towards Xu Qingfan, releasing a stream of black poisonous sand at Xu Qingfan’s face rapidly, while a wind wall formed of sand suddenly appeared, blocking the golden sword.

Seeing the poisonous sand heading towards him, Xu Qingfan’s mind quickly flashed through descriptions of Xuansha Snake’s venomous sand, understanding its danger, and he hurriedly dodged to the side.

However, the distance between them was very close, and Number 4’s poisonous sand attack came too suddenly. Since Xu Qingfan’s right leg was injured, his speed was significantly reduced. Although he dodged most of the poison in time, a few grains still hit his face.

Number 4 didn’t pay attention to whether his poisonous sand hit the target. Instead, taking advantage of Xu Qingfan’s momentary dodge, he broke free from Xu Qingfan’s grasp and quickly darted to the side, clearly concerned about Jin Qinghan’s golden sword.

But Number 4 ultimately underestimated Jin Qinghan.

As the second-best among the younger generation of Jiuhua Mountain, Jin Qinghan’s strength was not as simple as Number 4 imagined.

The golden sword Jin Qinghan hurled just moments ago, though seemingly ordinary, was filled with his deep-seated anger, imbued with powerful and concentrated Golden Spirit Qi. The quick barrier of sand and wind erected by Number 4 in haste was unable to alter the sword’s sharp path. Having just shook off Xu Qingfan’s control, Number 4 found the golden sword already upon his chest, with no time left to evade.

Finally, the golden sword swiftly pierced through Number 4’s chest, leaving a trail of green blood that arced into the sky before drizzling onto the earth, as if Jiuhua had suddenly been showered with a green rain.

As his blood scattered, Number 4 neither cried out nor resisted but simply collapsed softly to the ground, as if all the vitality inside him had been drained by that single strike.

One wonders if, at the moment the golden sword pierced his chest, he recalled those he had once pierced in the same way.

Seeing Number 4’s state, knowing the battle had come to a temporary pause, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang both let out long sighs of relief. It didn’t matter if Number 4’s demise was due to his own negligence or their own luck, nor did they worry about the two unknown Sethraks standing by passively. The important thing was that they had won this bout of spellcraft.

However, Xu Qingfan’s mood was growing colder because he realized that the places where the toxic sand had grazed him were beginning to feel numb, and this sensation was rapidly spreading throughout his body.

"The danger of Xuansha lies primarily in its toxic sand. Those affected become paralyzed, their faces darkening with no cure, and the weak should flee, not fight." — "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas – Strange Beast Chapter"

Though Xu Qingfan’s wounds were minor, they had been inflicted by Xuansha’s toxic sand, and the numbness was spreading toward his brain. Once it reached there, no cure would save him; even if he survived, his mind would be so severely damaged that he would be nothing more than a fool.