Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Guard of Killing Intent

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The Flame of Zhou Qi was said to consume everything without exception. Whether it could burn the opponent’s Taoist robe, Zhou Qi was uncertain. That robe was said to resist the corrosion of malevolent energy; even though Dao Fan’s body had undergone such great changes, the robe remained intact. Hopefully, it would be effective, Zhou Qi silently prayed.

Dao Fan noticed that Zhou Qi’s spell had diminished in size and power compared to before. Suppressing the pain, he sneered viciously, “Struggle all you want, you insignificant ant. The more you struggle, the more excited I become!”

“Go,” Zhou Qi commanded, summoning the small mountain that bore his hopes and swiftly flying it toward Dao Fan.

“Annoying,” Dao Fan spat. This time, before the mountain could land, he extended his large fan-shaped hand and slapped at it, as if swatting away a fly. The mountain instantly dissipated into smoke and mist under his strike.

Zhou Qi’s expression twisted into a strange smile as he stared at his own palm. Following his gaze, Dao Fan looked and saw that the robe covering his palm had caught fire, revealing thick black fur underneath. The fur was so dense that he had not noticed it at first.

What kind of fire was this? Dao Fan was shocked that even his specially made robe could ignite. Hastily, he tried to extinguish the flames with his other hand, but the fire would not die out; it spread to the robe on that hand as well.

The fire could not be extinguished. Alarmed, Dao Fan saw the flames creeping up his arm. He quickly dispelled his True Ape Transformation, emerging from the robe as the black fur vanished. Stripping off the robe, the urge for destruction and the killing intent surged back into his body.

Dao Fan struggled desperately to resist the corrosive destruction. Injured severely somewhere within, it was more difficult to endure than before. Blood rapidly covered his body. Zhou Qi smiled and said, “Friend, guess which one of us will recover first?”

Dao Fan finally realized the problem: without the Taoist robe to shield against the malevolent energy, he could only rely on his physical body to resist. Zhou Qi, however, possessed a treasured artifact that resisted malevolent energy, unharmed by the destruction or killing intent. Over time, Zhou Qi would certainly recover first, and the tide could turn—Dao Fan might then be at risk of a counterattack.

“Don’t be so smug. If you still care about those two foxes’ lives, bring me the Medicine Immortal Sanctuary as a ransom. I’ll wait outside,” Dao Fan snarled.

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“Threaten me with the demon tribe? You think I care about their lives?” Zhou Qi replied, his tone revealing that the more he appeared indifferent, the more he might actually care. This would only strengthen Dao Fan’s resolve to deal with Jiu’er and the others. Jiu’er held the Maze Immortal Formation and Earth-breaking Talismans that Zhou Qi had given her. Unless a Dao God cultivator intervened, it wouldn’t be easy to capture them. But Dao Fan obviously did not want this matter to become widely known, so the likelihood of a Dao God’s involvement was low.

“Is that so? I can see the insincerity in your eyes. You’ve probably fallen for the beauty of those fox demons. Pathetic. As a cultivator, to be so obsessed with carnal pleasures. It’s a misfortune for the human race that the Medicine Immortal Sanctuary fell into the hands of someone like you,” Dao Fan mocked with a sneer, then limped away.

Zhou Qi watched him leave, powerless to stop him at this moment. If he fought desperately, the outcome would be uncertain.

He had never expected a prominent Daoist leader to be such a person. He had misjudged Dao Fan. Though Dao Fan had great ambitions, he had taken the wrong path. If Dao Fan were to lead the Dao sect, it might only lead them to a different extreme.

Shaking his head, Zhou Qi cast aside his worries and hoped that Jiu’er and the others would be safe.

Zhou Qi took out a Recovery Pill from the Medicine Immortal Sanctuary and swallowed it. Despite the external injuries being minor, the forced use of the Embrace Mountain Seal had consumed much vital energy and blood, and taken a toll on his lifespan. If not for the remarkable power of the Flame of Zhou Qi, he might have been lost this time.

Seated in meditation for a long time, his broken ribs regrew. However, the more Recovery Pills he took, the slower his healing became. Was he developing drug resistance? To regain instantaneous recovery, he might have to enhance the pill’s grade. Unfortunately, he had no formula and no knowledge of refining it. Upgrading the pill was out of the question.

After consuming several third-grade Vitality Pills, he felt much more energized, but the depletion of vital energy and lifespan could not be restored quickly.

He did not know how far the place to retrieve the Dragon Pearl was, but it was sure to be even more dangerous ahead. The ancient dragon had only given vague directions. Since this place was beneficial for body refinement, Zhou Qi decided to focus on strengthening himself first.

Placing the Dragon’s Reverse Scale into the Medicine Immortal Sanctuary, the forces of destruction and killing intent swept over him. Enduring the tearing pain, Zhou Qi silently resisted and circulated the Heavenly Mysterious Two Transformations to temper his body.

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Zhou Qi concentrated, imagining himself fighting on the battlefield, recalling the battles he had fought before. While refining the killing intent, he searched for his own weaknesses.

He realized that although he had experienced bloody combat and fought many cultivators, killing many with his own hand, he lacked a certain murderous resolve—a vital belief to utterly annihilate the enemy.

If he could solve this, the refinement of the killing intent would accelerate. But he shook his head again. If he cultivated such killing intent, his temperament might change. He might start killing indiscriminately, seeking to slay all he saw. Would his path then be a bloody one, becoming a maniacal killer? Where would the joy be in that?

Cultivation was not merely about fighting and killing. If one had to slaughter endlessly to grow stronger—like in the fantasy novels he had read in his previous life, where the hero’s path was paved with bloodshed—one would either be killed or end up utterly alone.

“This is not my path,” Zhou Qi murmured. “My killing intent is not for killing’s sake, but for protection—protecting myself, those I care about, my principles, and my bottom line.”

With this clarity, Zhou Qi refined the killing intent without hindrance. A vast amount of killing intent merged into his body, forming a special aura around him, filled with several strands of killing energy.

He was delighted. Was this a domain? Though small now, it would grow as his cultivation and strength increased. The constant refinement of killing intent would add to the killing energy within. When the domain opened, the howling killing energy alone could attack enemies without him lifting a finger. Was this the embodiment of killing intent?

Here, the killing intent could no longer harm him. Though only a few faint strands of killing energy had formed, Zhou Qi silently pondered this before stopping, content to continue tempering his body.

If he were to face Dao Fan again here, relying solely on cultivation and spiritual power, he had no chance. But if Dao Fan did not use his True Ape Transformation, Zhou Qi would not fear him. This did not mean the True Ape Transformation was inherently superior to the Heavenly Mysterious Nine Transformations; it was simply that Dao Fan had cultivated longer and tempered his body more.

Ten days later, the destructive energy here no longer affected Zhou Qi. He could clearly feel the strength of his body. Now, if he faced Dao Fan in True Ape Transformation again, he was confident he could stand toe-to-toe with him.