Chapter 146: Ambush

Two more cultivators were swallowed by the wordless jade wall, and the remaining ones could not help but feel a touch of despair. They discovered that the sword-wielding figure was moving slower and slower; if it were to stop, their journey might also come to an end.

Zhou Qi sat cross-legged within the void space, continuously comprehending the sword immortal's intent.

Until he and the surrounding sword intent became indistinguishable, the sword-wielding phantom before his eyes gradually faded away until it vanished entirely, and the sword intent receded like a tide.

Zhou Qi felt emptiness beneath his feet and fell rapidly. He hurriedly summoned his flying sword to steady his stance, landing on a massive plaza below.

Landing on the plaza, Zhou Qi looked around and found that the plaza was surrounded by lake water.

Near the plaza edge of the lake stood a stone tablet with the words "Sword Lake" carved upon it in flying, dragon-like calligraphy. The sword intent soared into the sky, and these four characters seemed to have been carved using a sword itself.

There was nothing else. Zhou Qi tried to fly out of the plaza, but he found that the entire plaza seemed to be enclosed by a barrier, preventing him from breaking through.

Could this trial also require waiting for everyone to arrive? Zhou Qi guessed. Since he could not leave, he abandoned the thought of exploring and calmly began to comprehend the residual sword intent of the two characters "Sword Lake."

A quarter of an hour later, Dao Fan drifted down from the sky. Seeing Zhou Qi alone, he was overjoyed. Ever since he encountered Zhou Qi in the Saint's Secret Realm, Dao Fan had long wished to take action against him, only lacking a suitable opportunity.

Now that Zhou Qi's backers were not around, if he did not strike now, when would he?

Enemies meeting face-to-face ignited a burning hatred. The moment he landed, Dao Fan summoned the sword in his hand and struck at Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi had already noticed Dao Fan descending gracefully, though he had not expected him to act so decisively, launching an attack without a single word.

Dao Fan's strike had already incorporated the sword immortal intent he had just comprehended. Before the sword even arrived, that boundless killing intent had already enveloped Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi did not dodge. Ever since advancing to the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm, he had not yet engaged in a real battle. His cultivation had grown too rapidly, and he urgently needed a hearty, full-fledged battle to consolidate his realm.

Zhou Qi swung the Canglan heavy sword in his hand, meeting the sword filled with killing intent and sword intent.

Guardian sword intent radiated from the Canglan heavy sword, enveloping Zhou Qi in a heavy, all-encompassing aura.

This gave Dao Fan the illusion that Zhou Qi and the heavy sword before him were as immovable and impenetrable as a towering mountain.

"Hah!" Dao Fan shouted loudly, his sword intent intensifying even further. The tip of his sword struck the body of the heavy sword, but it was blocked instantly, unable to advance even an inch.

Dao Fan channeled even more spiritual power. As a Core Formation cultivator, he refused to believe that Zhou Qi's spiritual power was more profound than his own. Moreover, that black heavy sword did not even possess a grade; he intended to suppress his opponent purely through his vast spiritual power.

Zhou Qi simply raised the Canglan sword to block, without unleashing a shred of spiritual power.

This sword possessed astonishing weight and showed no reaction to spiritual power; its sheer physical mass alone was enough to block Dao Fan's attack.

With a sweep of the Canglan sword, Dao Fan's long sword was knocked flying away.

Dao Fan was startled. What kind of material was this sword forged from to possess such astonishing defensive power? He hurriedly recalled his long sword.

A golden opportunity! Zhou Qi executed the Divine Movement Step, lifting the heavy sword in his hand and smashing it directly toward Dao Fan's head.

Dao Fan did not panic. He summoned his long sword once more to meet Zhou Qi's descending blow.

With a crisp clang, the long sword snapped in half on impact. Dao Fan was horrified; his own middle-grade spirit artifact had actually been severed by his opponent's sword.

"True Ape Transformation!" Dao Fan roared, his body rapidly expanding. Black fur covered his entire body as he transformed into a giant ape.

He reached out with two fan-sized palms, attempting to grab the Canglan heavy sword.

"Hah!" Zhou Qi let out a muffled shout, circulating the Divine Dragon Transformation to infuse the sword strike with even greater power.

When the sword made contact with Dao Fan's palms, Dao Fan felt as though he had caught a collapsing mountain, his massive body bending downward under the crushing pressure.

So strong! Dao Fan was alarmed, hurriedly channeling more spiritual power to resist.

The heavy sword was finally halted, but the giant ape transformed by Dao Fan was already half-kneeling on the ground.

A lotus flower suddenly materialized behind Zhou Qi, striking him and sending him flying backward.

Zhou Qi spat out a mouthful of blood and looked back.

It was Shui Bing. She descended slowly like a celestial maiden from the nine heavens, stepping upon a lotus flower, though the killing intent in her eyes could not be concealed.

"As a dignified Core Formation cultivator, you actually launched a sneak attack while I was dueling someone else. Have you no shame?" Zhou Qi swallowed a Restoration Pill and sneered.

Today, it seemed difficult to end this peacefully. Two arch-enemies had appeared, and since there was no way out of this place, had he not become a turtle in a jar?

"Hmph, it is a matter of life and death. Do you expect me to abide by any rules? How pedantic!" Shui Bing rebuked.

Seeing that Zhou Qi's enemy had arrived, Dao Fan dissolved the True Ape Transformation, reverting to his immortal, ethereal appearance.

"The Saintess speaks wisely. Since we are enemies, one must have the psychological preparation to accept death!" Dao Fan smiled.

"How utterly shameless! A Daoist heir and a Immortal Xia Sect Saintess actually joining forces to attack an unknown Foundation Establishment cultivator. If word gets out, aren't you afraid of dragging your sects' reputations through the mud?" It was Jiang Yiyi who had arrived. Seeing Zhou Qi vomiting blood and collapsing nearby, she hurriedly flew her sword over to his side.

Zhou Qi had actually already recovered, but seeing Jiang Yiyi arrive, he suddenly put on a weak and fragile expression. "Senior Sister... I..." Zhou Qi groaned softly.

Jiang Yiyi was alarmed and hurried to support him. Zhou Qi rolled his eyes and smoothly tumbled into Jiang Yiyi's embrace. *So soft, so fragrant,* Zhou Qi thought to himself.

"As the Saintess of the Heaven Dao Sect, instead of helping the Saint, you always stand by outsiders. If this gets spread around, I wonder what the Heaven Dao Sect would think of you?" Shui Bing retorted.

"You..." Jiang Yiyi was left speechless. Debating was not her forte, and furthermore, Shui Bing was not entirely wrong. She acted entirely on her impulses, and in the eyes of outsiders, this clearly looked like betrayal from within.

"You two are truly shameless. Back in Wuyang Village, Zhou Qi did not leverage his status to deal with you; instead, he exhausted his efforts to help everyone pass the Wuyang Village trial. It's one thing not to feel gratitude, but now the two of you are joining forces to attack him, and you still dare to speak so boldly!" Gao Shiyu arrived and, seeing Zhou Qi unconscious in Jiang Yiyi's arms, rebuked them fiercely.

"May I ask who this young lady is, and why she is helping an unknown brat?" Dao Fan cupped his fists and inquired.

"Who I am is none of your business. I simply cannot stand the sight of this. The entire Huangxuan Domain is filled with a bunch of worthless dogs, disgusting me to the core," Gao Shiyu sneered coldly.

"You..." As soon as these words were spoken, both Shui Bing and Dao Fan's expressions changed.

Gao Shiyu's words had insulted everyone in the Huangxuan Domain. Jiang Yiyi had no intention of refuting her; instead, she felt that Gao Shiyu was entirely right. Seeing that Gao Shiyu was already arguing with the opponents, Jiang Yiyi quickly pulled out a medicinal pill and fed it into Zhou Qi's mouth.

What was going on? Jiang Yiyi was slightly stunned. This pill was also a Restoration Pill, and the pills carried by a Saintess were naturally superior to the ones Aunt Bing had given Zhou Qi. Yet after swallowing the pill, Zhou Qi did not wake up; instead, his breathing became rapid. She could feel the vital blood energy throughout his entire body accelerating as if he were in extreme agony, and he kept burrowing deeper into Jiang Yiyi's embrace.

Her spiritual sense probed his internal organs, finding them brimming with vitality. Why, then, would he not wake up?