Chapter 117: Chapter 114: Immortal Treasure in Hand?

When one used the Great Universal Hand, it appeared completely unremarkable to the naked eye.

It didn’t even send an opponent flying, screaming in agony, or spitting up blood upon impact.

Instead, the technique silently burdened its victim with a kind of “guilt,” causing them to become mired in it.

The next moment, He Qingzhi, who had taken the palm to his back, staggered forward three steps and collapsed to his knees. His eyes were vacant, completely devoid of spirit.

He wasn’t dead, nor was he severely injured.

But he had lost all will to fight.

The duel, the poison oath, the Immortal Treasure—none of it mattered to He Qingzhi anymore.

He couldn’t even comprehend why he had gotten involved in this messy affair to begin with…

THUD. He Qingzhi collapsed to the ground, abandoning the struggle entirely.

The match was decided, but Zou Feng didn’t leave right away.

Instead, he feigned great discomfort as he forced out the Poison Needles He Qingzhi had unleashed.

These Poison Needles were designed to pierce Protective Qi Force; not even Zou Feng’s Tribulation-Indestructible Body had fully defended against them.

To block them without taking any damage, he’d probably have to bring his Cultivation of the Tribulation-Indestructible Body to the Realm of Refining Fire.

But it didn’t matter. They were just trivial, superficial wounds.

The most troublesome aspect of the Poison Needles, naturally, was their toxicity.

Unfortunately for his opponent, this was the one thing that Zou Feng, a walking vial of poison himself, cared about the least.

He absorbed the toxins directly, which actually left him feeling even more invigorated.

But to keep up appearances, Zou Feng pretended to be affected, even making his steps unsteady.

This was to give Zhu Qiming the false impression that although his side had lost the battle, they had at least incapacitated one of their opponents, leaving the balance of power unchanged.

“Qingzhi!”

Zhu Qiming hurried forward and helped He Qingzhi to his feet.

He Qingzhi was now completely listless, but since he had lost a duel he’d been so confident of winning, it wasn’t surprising for him to be so dejected and demoralized.

Unaware of the truth, Zhu Qiming tried to console him. “It’s fine. We’ll win the last match!”

He Qingzhi, however, looked as if he didn’t want to say another word.

In reality, if He Qingzhi hadn’t been mentally broken, he would have immediately warned Zhu Qiming that Zou Feng’s strength far exceeded their expectations.

His Inner Qi was so profound, and his techniques so exquisite, that he had likely reached the absolute limit for an Eighth Grade Martial Artist.

He might have even suspected that Zou Feng had already advanced to the Seventh Grade.

Unfortunately, with his state of mind affected by the Great Universal Hand, He Qingzhi had lost interest in even the Immortal Treasure. Why would he care about such details?

Meanwhile, Chen Jingsheng had come to Zou Feng’s side and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good job! Are you alright?”

Zou Feng shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ll rest for a bit and take an Antitoxic Pill. It’s nothing serious.”

’Having the title of a Physician is so convenient,’ he thought. ’Casually ’curing’ poison seems perfectly plausible.’

Finally, the last duel was about to begin. The fate of the Immortal Treasure would soon be decided.

The situation had essentially returned to square one.

The first two matches had ended quickly, and in both cases, the victor had paid a heavy price.

Wei Lingyun and Wang Xingjian had basically traded blows until both were out of commission, leaving neither with the strength to fight again.

And while Zou Feng had decisively defeated He Qingzhi, He Qingzhi’s final Bursting Poison Needle attack had supposedly cost Zou Feng his ability to fight as well.

After all, by any normal logic, even if he could neutralize the poison, how could the damage it had already inflicted on his body be healed so quickly?

In short, it appeared on the surface that whichever side ultimately lost would have no strength left to fight for the Immortal Treasure.

Seeing Chen Jingsheng about to take the stage, Zou Feng naturally had to offer a few words of encouragement.

“Brother Chen, you…”

Before Zou Feng could finish, Chen Jingsheng waved his hand dismissively. “I won’t lose!”

The words had barely left his mouth when Chen Jingsheng circulated his Inner Qi, instantly shredding his shirt to reveal a physique of forged steel and cast iron, honed through countless trials.

With every step he took toward Zhu Qiming, the very ground seemed to tremble.

Such was his imposing aura that even Wang Xingjian, who was always by his side, was stunned.

“The Hall Master… has he cultivated the No Desire True Self Technique to the level of Refined Skill?!”

It was rare for even Ninth and Eighth Grade Martial Artists, including disciples of the Celestial Essence Sword Sect, to cultivate a Cultivation Skill to the Realm of Refining Fire.

For a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, however, achieving such a level of Refined Skill was no longer an impossible dream.

However, even though Chen Jingsheng had seemingly achieved this, he was practicing an Evil Skill. The price he must have paid was immeasurable.

Recalling how Chen Jingsheng, a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, suffered from occasional dizzy spells, one could only imagine the hidden toll it had taken on his body.

But Chen Jingsheng was making a gamble.

He was gambling that by obtaining the Immortal Treasure, he would find a cure for his body’s hidden ailments.

Across from him, Zhu Qiming was just as decisive. He pulled out some unknown elixir and, with a look of grim resolve, shoved it into his mouth.

Shortly after he swallowed the elixir, the Inner Qi roiling around him began to take on the appearance of black smoke.

Just looking at this smoke-like Inner Qi was enough to give one a sinister, ominous feeling.

Seeing this, Zou Feng pretended to sit in meditation to heal his wounds. At the same time, he downed all the Spirit Wine he had on him and began his Cultivation of the Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step.

The duel between the two Seventh Grade Martial Artists, Chen Jingsheng and Zhu Qiming, was completely different from the previous two matches.

Both had a tacit understanding not to unleash their Big Moves right from the start.

Instead, they began by cautiously probing one another, countering move for move.

At this rate, the duel looked like it would be a prolonged battle of attrition.

But that was only if Zou Feng didn’t decide to interfere…

Before long, one of the two evenly matched combatants suddenly faltered.

Zhu Qiming’s footwork, a key part of his Body Skill, was clearly becoming unsteady.

The side effects of the Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step finally revealed their power at this critical moment.

It hadn’t helped Wang Xingjian win earlier mainly because that fight had ended too quickly.

This final duel, however, was proceeding at a normal pace, which made it much easier for Zou Feng to provide an assist from the sidelines.

In a duel between evenly matched experts, a single misstep is often all it takes to tip the scales of victory.

Sensing an opening in Zhu Qiming’s defense, Chen Jingsheng would never let such a golden opportunity pass. He instantly used Bursting Qi and unleashed his ultimate attack.

Zou Feng then witnessed the true power of the No Desire True Self Technique.

A seamless torrent of combo attacks, moving faster than the naked eye could follow, relentlessly hammered Zhu Qiming.

The most incredible part of this combo was that despite its incredible speed, not a single move was repeated.

Each attack flowed from the last, so smooth it seemed perfectly natural.

It stood in stark contrast to the chaotic, make-it-up-as-you-go style Zou Feng employed with his own Palm Skill.

Even Zou Feng couldn’t help but watch in admiration.

He wasn’t overly envious, though. ’After all,’ he thought, ’whether it’s a smooth combo or a chaotic brawl, all that matters is winning.’

’A chaotic style has its advantages. If I don’t even know what my next move is, how can my opponent possibly predict it?’

And so, under the assault of a full-power Bursting Qi combo, coupled with Zou Feng’s secret interference, Zhu Qiming finally buckled.

On Chen Jingsheng’s thirteenth strike, he finally landed a solid knee into Zhu Qiming’s stomach.

Zhu Qiming cried out in pain, his defenses completely crumbling.

In truth, Chen Jingsheng was also in considerable pain. He hadn’t taken a single breath during that high-speed thirteen-hit combo.

But with victory in sight, Chen Jingsheng didn’t care if he sustained more hidden injuries. Gritting his teeth, he continued the assault.

Zhu Qiming actually had one last trick up his sleeve he could have used to fight back, but just then, his head began to spin.

He was even seeing double as he looked at Chen Jingsheng.

Despair instantly washed over him.

For the moment, however, he didn’t suspect any foul play.

After all, he had taken an Evil Pill with severe side effects at the start of the fight.

A moment later, Chen Jingsheng landed two more successful punches, sending Zhu Qiming flying and coughing up blood.

Clutching his chest, Zhu Qiming struggled to rise several times but ultimately failed.

He was decisive in his defeat. Seeing Chen Jingsheng rushing toward him again, he said dejectedly, “I lose!”

Only then did Chen Jingsheng stop and hastily regulate his breathing.

As he did so, he swayed noticeably. His old ailment was clearly acting up again.

It seemed he hadn’t been struck once during the duel, but just forcibly executing that high-speed fifteen-hit combo had inflicted a serious internal injury.

But it was all worth it.

The Immortal Treasure was finally within his grasp!

Furthermore, Zhu Qiming and his two companions were all severely injured. Even if they wanted to renege on their deal, they no longer had the strength to do so.

And so the normally stern Chen Jingsheng, after catching his breath, could no longer contain himself. He clenched his fists and threw his head back with a loud laugh.

Zou Feng was also excited. After all, he too coveted the Immortal Treasure and was dying to know what was inside.

However, he didn’t let his guard down. He kept his eyes fixed on Zhu Qiming’s group, watching for any last-ditch, desperate moves or hidden tricks.

“Brother Chen, secure the treasure first!”

Although it was time to celebrate, Zou Feng still gave Chen Jingsheng a reminder.

Despite his internal injury, Chen Jingsheng’s movements were unimpeded. In a flash, he was at the spot where the two metal spheres rested.

He then took one sphere in each hand.

Seeing this, Zou Feng finally let out a long sigh of relief.

’It’s in the bag!’

He had been watching Zhu Qiming’s group the whole time. Aside from the apathetic He Qingzhi, the other two were filled with bitter reluctance, sighing in frustration and stamping their feet.

But it seemed they truly had no other tricks up their sleeves…

Seeing Chen Jingsheng with both spheres in hand, Zhu Qiming couldn’t stop himself from speaking. “Brother Chen, I am utterly convinced of my defeat in this duel!”

“But I’m incredibly curious… what’s actually inside them?”

“Could you… let me see for myself?”

He was hoping to get Chen Jingsheng to open the Immortal Treasure right then and there.

After all, if the contents weren’t as amazing as they imagined, or were completely useless to them, his group would feel a lot better about their loss.

But Chen Jingsheng hadn’t been kicked in the head by a donkey; there was no way he would agree to that.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep