Chapter Thirty-Three: Defeating Zheng and Qi

“Be defeated!”
“Golden Blade Mountain-Piercing Spear!”
The Golden Blade Mountain-Piercing Spear was a high-level martial technique of the Yellow grade. Zheng Qi had devoted decades to it, achieving mastery, its power nearly rivaling that of a beginner-level Profound grade technique.
As Zheng Qi channeled his internal force, a fierce wind surged around him. The black spear in his hand glimmered with a faint golden light. Zheng Qi leaped into midair, the spear tip aimed at Lu Han, and a golden streak several meters long shot toward him.
Lu Han swept his hand, his internal force surging wildly, cold energy gathering in his palm.
He struck at the golden spear shadow with a powerful palm.
“Star-Shattering Palm!”
Lu Han murmured in his heart.
Boom!
Lu Han was knocked backward, flying through the air.
He landed, his feet skidding, stabbing the ground behind him with the Jade Sky Sword to steady himself. Fortunately, his recent cultivation of Heavenly Garment had strengthened his body beyond its former limits.
Lu Han wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “The Ninth Heaven of the Post-Heaven realm is indeed formidable. If not for the silk garment formed by Heavenly Garment blocking some of the aftershock, I would have been seriously injured. Now the silk is torn. Next time, I won’t be so lucky.”
“Lu Han, I admit you are powerful among your peers. But before me, you are not worth considering.” Zheng Qi watched Lu Han spit only a trace of blood. In his eyes, that strike should have left Lu Han incapacitated on the ground.
Lu Han said nothing. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and poured his internal force madly into the Jade Sky Sword. The energy of heaven and earth visibly converged on the sword in his hand.
The Jade Sky Sword in Lu Han’s grasp radiated dazzling white light.
Zheng Qi sensed a hint of danger—no, more accurately, it emanated from the sword in Lu Han’s hand.
“What is this kid up to?” Clearly only at the Seventh Heaven of the Post-Heaven realm, yet the power radiating from his hand struck fear into Zheng Qi.
White cold aura billowed around the sword. As Lu Han’s internal force neared exhaustion, he suddenly pushed off with his foot, leaping into the air.
“Sword Earth Ice Lotus!”
Lu Han whispered in his heart.
It appeared! A high-level Profound grade martial technique!
Lu Han flipped in midair, head down, the sword radiating terrifying cold aimed straight at Zheng Qi.
Zheng Qi felt the pressure—a pressure he had only experienced before from Iron Madman.
No time to think, Zheng Qi summoned his faint golden internal force. The black spear once again shimmered with golden light. He took a deep breath.
“Golden Blade Mountain-Piercing Spear!”
The spear pointed upward at Lu Han, golden spear shadow rushing toward him.

When the golden spear shadow met the tip of Lu Han’s sword, it failed to stop him. Upon contact, the golden spear shadow vanished completely.
Clink!
Lu Han’s sword touched the tip of Zheng Qi’s spear on the ground, but no great noise erupted.
Only a single, clear “clink.”
At the moment of contact, a circular ripple of energy spread through the air from the point where sword and spear met.
Suddenly.
Sizzle…
White ice crystals began to spread from the tip of Zheng Qi’s spear, creeping downward faster and faster.
Soon, a massive ice lotus formed with Zheng Qi at its center, spanning ten meters in every direction.
Lu Han flipped, landing on the ground, his face pale. Using a high-level Profound grade martial technique at only the Seventh Heaven of the Post-Heaven realm had pushed him to the limit, draining his internal force completely. Even with the cultivation of Frost Cold Qi, if he had still relied on the former Darkwater Formula, he likely wouldn’t have managed to execute the technique.
Lu Han looked at Zheng Qi, now frozen into an ice statue. “Captain Zheng, now I’ll have to shatter this ice sculpture, and you’ll be broken along with it.”
Frozen, Zheng Qi could not move, and could only blink his eyes repeatedly.
“Captain Zheng, there was never any deep hatred between us. I simply acted to protect myself. You only need to wait for the ice to melt—it’s July, it won’t take long. I hope you won’t hinder me again. I only wish to return home.” Lu Han shouldered his sword and walked toward the exit.
“Clang!” The surrounding mercenaries all drew their blades.
“We can’t let him leave!”
“No matter how strong he is, he’s only one man.”
Their voices echoed one after another.
Seeing this, cold energy surged from Lu Han, the Jade Sky Sword glinting icily.
“Those unafraid of death, come forward.” At that moment, Lu Han’s face was somewhat ferocious.
Seeing him thus, the mercenaries hesitated, retreating one after another, exchanging nervous glances.
Soon, Lu Han had left, his long shadow receding in the distance.
Not long after, Zheng Qi was rescued, and as he watched Lu Han depart, his eyes were complicated, and he sighed. No one knew what he was thinking.
The entire Bluestone Town was in an uproar—a youth only at the Seventh Heaven of the Post-Heaven realm had defeated the leader of the Iron Tiger Mercenary Corps, Zheng Qi. While the townsfolk searched the town for Lu Han, he had already departed.
Lu Han followed the main road out of Bluestone Town, encountering no resistance at the gate—most likely the earlier battle had drawn everyone back to the Iron Tiger Mercenary Corps.
Lu Han had not gone far, less than a mile, when his vision darkened and he collapsed, unconscious.
At that moment, a deep blue ring floated from Lu Han’s bosom, and a translucent old man appeared.
“This boy, thinking a high-level Profound martial technique can be used so casually.” Old Man Ling shook his head. Lu Han had already fought Zheng Qi for a long time, then used Star-Shattering Palm, burning most of his internal force. Finally, he forcibly executed Sword Earth Ice Lotus, thus falling unconscious.

Old Man Ling waved his hands, a surge of energy lifting Lu Han and carrying him toward the forest by the road.
Lu Han was unaware that as he slept, the mysterious cold pearl at his brow began to spin, releasing streams of energy throughout his body, slowly repairing the meridians damaged by his forced use of martial techniques.
Old Man Ling was amazed.
“The medicine I gave him isn’t nearly this effective,” he muttered, grasping Lu Han’s wrist.
“This is the power of the mysterious cold pearl!” Old Man Ling was shocked.
He was intimately familiar with the cold pearl, having faced it daily in the cave for so many years. But ever since it first froze him, he hadn’t dared touch it again.
The cold pearl had stayed in Lu Han’s body for a long time, but nothing remarkable had occurred, aside from altering his attributes, and that time in Crystal Cloud Mountain when the monster core of the vanished Frost Violet-Eyed Python had been absorbed by the pearl—Old Man Ling was certain of that.
He hadn’t expected the mysterious cold pearl to suddenly heal Lu Han’s injuries.
“Never mind. As long as this pearl does no harm to the boy, let it be. There will be time to explore its secrets later.”
As the energy of the mysterious cold pearl surged, Lu Han’s meridians were gradually restored, and his internal force recovered.
Lu Han had no idea how much time had passed, until the mysterious cold pearl at his brow ceased its spinning.
Lying on the ground, Lu Han’s index finger twitched slightly, his eyes slowly opened—he had finally awakened.
Lu Han found himself on a flat patch of ground, covered with several long coats. Nearby was a small stream.
He rose slowly, rubbing his aching head.
He walked to the stream and drank deeply.
“Boy, you’re finally awake. You’ve been unconscious for a day and night!”
“A whole day and night…” Lu Han murmured.
“If not for the cold pearl, you might not have awakened even after three days and nights,” Old Man Ling said inwardly.
“Listen, boy—you were reckless. In your condition, using Sword Earth Ice Lotus was impulsive. Actually, only those above the Pre-Heaven realm can use high-level Profound grade techniques,” Old Man Ling admonished, fearing his disciple would act rashly again.
Lu Han got up, stretching stiff limbs, and shouldered the Jade Sky Sword.
“Master, you know the nearest city, right?” Lu Han’s voice drifted from ahead.
Old Man Ling had intended to mention the cold pearl, but thought better of it, deciding to tell him later.
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