Chapter 99: Return to the Origin's Vigorous Spirit

Jia Cheng laughed in fury, Lu Han's tone clearly not taking him seriously at all. "I have decided," he declared, "I will not let you die easily!" Lu Han's arrogance was so blatant that Jia Cheng swore to torment him severely. "Jia Cheng, do you rely on your mouth in every battle?" A mocking smile curled at the corner of Lu Han's lips. This remark ignited Jia Cheng's rage to its peak. "Very well, since you wish to die quickly, I shall grant your wish!" Jia Cheng gripped the golden light club, took a single stride, and charged forward in a blinding slash directly at Lu Han, as if he meant to bisect him in a single stroke. The Bi Luo Sword flipped gracefully, forming a perfect sword flower as it met the blow. Today, only one of these two would emerge from the Xie Feng Cave! "Clang!" Jia Cheng's golden light blazed intensely. Innate qi surged without restraint, pouring entirely into the club. The technique he cultivated was the Yellow-rank Advanced art Gui Yuan Jin Gong. Once mastered to the Xian Tian realm, it stored a single strand of Gui Yuan Jin Qi in the dantian. Its true power lay in its explosive release; though only one strand, Jia Cheng believed his attacks at the second layer of Xian Tian realm were no greater than this. Yet Gui Yuan Jin Qi had its flaw: the dantian could hold only one such strand, and after release it required a full month to condense anew. It might seem insignificant, but it had saved Jia Cheng's life more times than he could count. This was one of his greatest hidden cards. After the weapons clashed, the two sides quickly separated. "Though I cannot use Gui Yuan Jin Qi for a month and will lose one trump card, obtaining that youth's techniques and martial arts will be worth it no matter what," Jia Cheng mused. Jia Cheng was a cautious man, as proven by his dealings with the soul-seizing weasel. Residents of the ancient Yinren lands knew that capturing a soul-seizing weasel required a team of three to five hunters, ideally at the second layer of Xian Tian realm. Had he simply rounded up a few such hunters, the weasel would have been taken long ago. But that would have meant Jia Cheng himself was only at the first layer of Xian Tian, and the chaotic nature of the Chaotic Soul Land meant anything could go wrong. His share might be seized by those stronger men. Strength alone was the true principle. Thus, he had kept the matter hidden, waiting until he reached the second layer of Xian Tian before revealing it to those of equal standing. Who could have imagined that Lu Han's sudden appearance would shatter his plan? A strange smile touched Jia Cheng's lips. He charged forward once more. The golden light club carried the weight of ten thousand catties, smashing toward Lu Han with a Gui Yuan Jin Qi concealed within. Lu Han sensed that the club in Jia Cheng's hand felt subtly different from before, though he could not name the difference. Danger seemed to loom. Before he could grasp it, the club struck. Lu Han did not dare to be careless. He channeled Tian Yi to its limit. At the moment the Bi Luo Sword met the golden light club, Lu Han suddenly flew backward. He felt a tremendous force slam into him, propelling him away. Gui Yuan Jin Qi was Jia Cheng's ultimate life-saving card; he would not expend it unless truly necessary. Now he sought to end the fight swiftly, for delay invited disaster. "Boy, this club will cripple you!" Seeing Lu Han tumble, Jia Cheng knew this was his chance. The unexpected strike of Gui Yuan Jin Qi would overwhelm even a Xian Tian second-layer opponent, let alone Lu Han at the ninth layer of Houtian realm. Jia Cheng's aura shifted. Innate qi flowed without reservation as Gui Yuan Jin Gong activated. The club in his hand gleamed with golden radiance, making the entire cave appear golden. This was a martial technique Jia Cheng had obtained by chance along with the club. For years he had devoted himself to it, though only Yellow-rank Advanced, it already possessed the bearing of a profound-rank art in his grasp. This was his true, final trump card. "Yellow-rank Advanced Martial Technique: Golden Club Splits Mountains!" Jia Cheng leaped into the air and roared. This strike carried the momentum of ten thousand catties, as though a mountain loomed before him, ready to be split in two. A club shadow more than ten meters long slashed toward Lu Han, aimed precisely at his right shoulder. Should it land, Lu Han's entire arm would be severed at the joint, leaving him powerless. Jia Cheng's move was vicious indeed. His Gui Yuan Jin Qi had already severely wounded Lu Han, who could no longer evade. Loss of the right arm would render him combat-ineffective, at the mercy of any who wished him dead. Lu Han, still airborne, spotted the descending shadow and snatched the Bi Luo Sword, planting his foot upon it. Using the rebound force, he barely twisted aside the club. "Shish!" The Bi Luo Sword sank into the rock with the impact. "Whoosh whoosh!" Lu Han landed with difficulty. A cool breeze stirred, and a single strand of his hair drifted slowly to the ground. That club had nearly taken his arm. For a moment, Jia Cheng was stunned. His Gui Yuan Jin Qi had never failed him, yet Lu Han stood unharmed save for a faint pallor, as though nothing had occurred. "How could you evade? Did you truly not sustain injury? Yet I clearly struck you with a strand of Gui Yuan Jin Qi!" Jia Cheng's eyes widened in disbelief. He had assumed severing Lu Han's arm would disarm him, then force the disclosure of techniques and the capture method for the soul-seizing weasel, a perfect plan. But Lu Han had emerged unscathed beneath the Jin Qi, allowing him to dodge the Golden Club Splits Mountains. "So that strange force within the club was called Gui Yuan Jin Qi," Lu Han thought, a shiver of lingering fear running through him. He had sensed danger but had not known its true name. Fortunately, Tian Yi had activated in time and, combined with his own formidable physique, had blocked the Jin Qi. Lu Han felt the energy gauze over his chest completely shattered. The Jin Qi had passed through the club and struck him directly. Had it not been for Tian Yi, he would have been wounded. In that case, the club would have found no resistance. Lu Han's face remained expressionless, yet cold sweat traced down his spine. Had he not been vigilant, he would have perished in the Xie Feng Cave. "Injured? Hah, do I look injured?" Lu Han laughed heartily. Jia Cheng felt, for the first time, that the situation had slipped beyond his control. Earlier, when Lu Han had displayed Xian Tian-level power, Jia Cheng had not grown overly concerned, for his own trump cards inspired complete confidence. Now, however, all his cards were spent, and Lu Han remained untouched except for a trace of inner-energy exhaustion and a few stray hairs. Panic flickered in Jia Cheng's eyes. He realized he would rather confront a Xian Tian second-layer cultivator than Lu Han. His Gui Yuan Jin Qi had wounded one such opponent and had allowed his escape that day. Yet Lu Han moved as though unaffected, his laughter brimming with vitality. At this point, Jia Cheng no longer possessed the will to continue fighting. He cared nothing for techniques now; his trump cards exhausted, innate qi depleted, he thought only of escape. Martial arts mattered, but his own life mattered more.