Swing the sword at the future female devil

Chapter 464 A Passionate Battle of Wits with Old Deng

Master Qiu paused, a calculating glint in his eyes, and immediately volunteered, "Commander! The target is already at his last gasp and exposed to the pressure of the boundary marker! I am willing to personally lead the team to capture him! I will present this sacred tree, along with Duan Huaige, to you, Commander! Please grant me your permission!"

Clearly, Master Qiu wanted to seize control of the Spirit Wood as soon as possible and claim all the credit!
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication array; Zhang Dingyuan was clearly weighing his options. The Spirit Wood… it did indeed sound like an unexpected bonus. Although Qiu Youji had previously neglected his duties, his current volunteering and unwavering determination presented an opportunity.

"Alright!" Zhang Dingyuan's voice was decisive. "Qiu Youji, I'm giving you one last chance! Take the 'Jade Pool' chariot and bring back that Spirit-Breathing Wood intact! If you fail again... Hmph!"

"Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail the commander's trust!"

Master Qiu was overjoyed, his eyes gleaming with greed and murderous intent. He immediately cut off the communication and roared at the squad that was already waiting behind him: "Target: Southeast! Area Seven of the Earthquake! Move out! Tear apart all obstacles and reclaim the Divine Tree!"

Zhang Dingyuan looked at the disconnected communication interface, a thoughtful expression on his face.

If what Master Qiu said is true... if this is an ancient treasure, then does that mean that after I obtain it, I can use it to make a deal with the demoness in exchange for my... life?
As a powerful and ruthless figure, Zhang Dingyuan naturally couldn't allow himself to be constantly held by the throat and have his life controlled by others... But he was getting old, and the sharpness of his youth had faded. After much deliberation, he decided to hedge his bets...

They sent Master Qiu to seize the so-called Spirit-Breathing Wood, while I still need to report to that demoness. However, the timing... I'll decide for myself.

Master Qiu, I hope you won't disappoint me...

……

Deep within the rift valley, Duan Huaige, holding the Spirit Nourishing Wood (Spirit Breathing Wood) that was bursting forth with a towering gray-green pillar of light, was enduring the dual predicament of the boundary marker's pressure and the exposure of his location!

He endured the excruciating pain in his body and, following the strong will transmitted by the Spirit Nourishing Tree, thrust its roots into a relatively flat black rock layer below, which exuded a strong aura of annihilation!
puff!

The seemingly slender roots of the Spirit Nourishing Tree pierced through the hard rock with ease, like divine weapons! A vast, chaotic yet incomparably pure primordial power of Kunlun Ruins surged into the Spirit Nourishing Tree like a floodgate opening!
The light surged once more! The gray-green pillar of light became even more solid, and the fluctuations of life and death it emitted became even more immense! She greedily absorbed it, and the emerald leaves on the branches grew and stretched wildly, even beginning to emit a faint, refreshing, yet strangely fragrant aroma with a hint of burnt sulfur!
Duan Huaige was pleasantly surprised to feel that a small portion of the power surging into the Spirit Nourishing Wood, extremely pure and gentle, began to nourish his body, rapidly repairing his internal organs and meridians that had been injured by the oppressive force! Even the enormous spiritual power of the Mountain and River Daoist technique that had been consumed was rapidly recovering!
However, this extraordinary sight lasted only a few breaths!

Rumble——! !

The sky trembled violently! The sound of a war chariot, like muffled thunder, grew louder as it approached from afar!

Duan Huaige abruptly looked up and saw a chariot, as large as a small mountain, crashing through rocks and kicking up clouds of dust, hurtling towards him at terrifying speed! On the chariot, Master Qiu's greedy and murderous gaze was fixed on him and the Spirit-Nourishing Wood before him like a venomous snake! "Duan Huaige! Leave the divine wood! I'll spare your life!" Master Qiu's fierce shout boomed like thunder. He stood at the forefront of the lead chariot, his hair and beard bristling, unleashing the overwhelming aura of a peak Golden Core cultivator!

He rushed forward and pointed his finger like a sword. A highly refined "Mysterious Ice Breaking Finger" with a chilling aura tore through the air, aiming straight for Duan Huaige's heart meridian! Wherever the finger passed, even the chaotic spiritual energy was frozen!

Duan Huaige sneered upon hearing this. Facing this thunderous attack, he showed no fear in his eyes, but instead, a fierce fighting spirit ignited within him!
Ah Cao is frantically absorbing the essence of Kunlun Ruins. The pure vitality and destructive power are mixed and nourishing him, allowing his spiritual power to recover rapidly and his injuries to heal!

"Old dog! Want it? Come and take it yourself!" he roared, advancing instead of retreating! His blood and qi instantly boiled, as if magma was flowing beneath his skin, glowing with a blazing red light! His muscles bulged, his bones throbbed, and an overwhelming, primal power filled his limbs and bones!

He clenched his right fist, and a red lotus phantom bloomed on the tip of his fist, carrying a violent power that could burn mountains and boil seas. Without dodging or avoiding, he slammed his fist into the Xuanbing Finger Force!
At the same time, a flash of blue light appeared between his brows, and a pure and flawless blue lotus phantom emerged, slowly rotating and emanating a supreme aura of cool tranquility and protection for the soul! The cold spiritual impact contained in Master Qiu's finger strength collided with the blue lotus phantom, and was instantly eliminated and purified as if a mud ox had entered the sea!
The fiery red fist energy collided fiercely with the bone-chilling finger force! The clash of ice and fire unleashed a deafening roar! A violent surge of energy exploded outwards, blasting the surrounding solid rocks into dust!

Master Qiu was so shocked that his blood and qi surged, and his face was filled with disbelief and horror! His full-force finger strike, delivered by a peak Golden Core cultivator, was actually repelled by a junior who had just entered the Golden Core stage, using only his physical strength?!
"Impossible! You junior... your body-refining technique is so domineering?!" Master Qiu exclaimed in shock.

This child cannot be kept!

"You old fool! This isn't over yet!" Duan Huaige pressed his advantage, taking advantage of the moment when Master Qiu was shocked and distracted, and instantly formed hand seals!

The profound origin of heaven and earth, the root of all energies! Appear!
A layer of dazzling golden light, condensed to almost tangible form and flowing with Dao patterns, instantly enveloped Duan Huaige's entire body! This golden light carried a majestic and righteous aura, repelling all evil! It made him appear like a golden-armored celestial god!

The Five Thunder Orthodox Method - Yang Five Thunder! Slaying Evil!

Duan Huaige thrust his palms forward with a fierce shove! Five thick, dragon-like, pure white bolts of lightning, exuding destructive heat, tore through the dark rift, carrying the majestic power to purify everything, like five roaring thunder dragons, and slammed fiercely towards Master Qiu!

Wherever the lightning passed, the chaotic spiritual energy was ignited, producing crackling and popping sounds!

"Not good!" Master Qiu's expression changed drastically! The power of this Yang Five Thunders far exceeded his expectations! He hurriedly summoned a giant black shield engraved with the Xuanwu pattern and held it in front of him, while retreating rapidly!

Five bolts of Yang lightning struck the Xuanwu Giant Shield in succession! The shield trembled violently, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain. The spiritual light on it dimmed rapidly, and even cracks appeared! The violent lightning force penetrated through the shield, still scorching Qiu Zhenren's hair and beard black, and causing his protective spiritual light to flicker erratically, leaving him in a sorry state!
Master Qiu returned to his chariot in a disheveled state, filled with shock and anger! He finally abandoned all his contempt and realized that the young man before him was no ordinary Golden Core cultivator! The endless stream of powerful techniques and terrifying explosive force were simply astonishing!
Damn it, in order to steal credit, I came alone, without even bringing the military squad. Otherwise, how could I have ended up like this!

(End of this chapter)