Murderous Urges

Murderous Urges

Disregarding the shadowed expression on Yue Bingying's face, Qin Wentian strode toward the vicinity where Fan Le and the rest were gathered.

With Qin Wentian joining Fan Le's group, their combined strength surged, gaining a substantial advantage. Qin Wentian's recent display of power indicated he could now match Li Shiyu, who stood at the eighth level of Yuanfu.

Four against Li Shiyu's party—Qin Wentian, Ouyang Kuangsheng, Chu Mang, and Fan Le. The scales of strength tipped in their favor, leaving the Mystic Maiden Palace with no guaranteed victory.

Onlookers held expressions of fascination. Qin Wentian had entered the Unmatched Realm at the fifth level of Yuanfu; his rapid ascent to the sixth level, accompanied by his remarkable combat ability, bordered on incredulity. His progression was staggeringly swift.

Observing Qin Wentian's remarkable growth, Ouyang Ting couldn't help but feel a shiver in her heart. If she relied solely on her own strength, her vendetta would likely remain unresolved indefinitely. Except, perhaps, if she harnessed the might of her Ouyang Clan. However, if she pursued that path, Ouyang Kuangsheng would undoubtedly intervene.

"Li Shiyu, open your eyes wide and behold—this is my brother, Qin Wentian. And standing beside him: myself, Qin Wentian, Chu Mang, and Fan Le. Among us, who falls short compared to the members of your Mystic Maiden Palace?" Ouyang Kuangsheng chuckled. "Xuan Xin and Fan Le share a mutual love that wouldn't tarnish your sect's honor. Although Fatty Fan Le might not match my handsome charm, his talent is second to none. If your sect selects Xuan Xin's partner, even your finest male candidate might pale in comparison to Fan Le."

"Hey, are you boosting me up or taking me down a peg?" Fan Le quipped, a grin playing on his lips. Ouyang Kuangsheng's comments were rather bewildering. Fan Le had his own refined elegance; what was Ouyang Kuangsheng implying by mentioning his own attractiveness?

"Hmph." Li Shiyi snorted disdainfully. Regardless of how she assessed Fan Le, she couldn't find him aesthetically pleasing. If Xuan Xin had chosen either Ouyang Kuangsheng or Qin Wentian, Li Shiyi might have found it more acceptable. But Fan Le?

"Is there no one else coming from the Sword Extinction Sect or Azure Emperor Palace?"

Li Shiyu glanced around with a helpless expression, seeking support. After Qin Wentian's bold confrontation, overpowering Lin Haotian and the two other Sword Extinction Sect members, and even taking on Yue Bingying, she doubted these two factions would simply swallow their pride.

Li Shiyu evidently lacked the confidence to confront Qin Wentian with only her group's members. She aimed for an alliance with the Sword Extinction Sect and Azure Emperor Palace before taking action.

"No need," a chilly, detached voice echoed from a distance. All heads turned in unison, expressions freezing in place. A remarkable figure soared over—someone typically mild-mannered and unobtrusive was now radiating such intense killing intent that shivers ran down the spines of those who felt it.

He arrived so swiftly? Then, Qin Wentian's fate was sealed.

Situ Po swiftly approached Yue Bingying, sweeping his fingers to remove traces of blood from her lips. His voice, usually gentle, inquired, "How are your injuries?"

"I'm alright, cough cough..." Yue Bingying's complexion drained. Turning toward Situ Po, she recounted with a quiver, "He called me a prostitute, insinuating that I sold myself to you merely for the sake of using your name."

"Rubbish. I'll ensure no one ever dares to utter such absurdities again." Situ Po tenderly brushed Yue Bingying's hair aside, a fond smile glimmering in his eyes.

"Mhm," Yue Bingying nodded faintly. Situ Po then shifted his gaze to Lin Haotian and the two swordsmen beside him. The trio from the Sword Extinction Sect bowed their heads, avoiding Situ Po's penetrating stare. Their miserable defeat at the hands of Qin Wentian had stripped them of all prestige held by the Sword Extinction Sect.

"Be on your guard, Situ Po is genuinely formidable. He's mastered two Perfection Boundary Mandates and one at the Transformation Boundary. His combat prowess easily rivals the pinnacle of Yuanfu. Unless an opponent possesses a Perfection Boundary Mandate of their own, even someone at the peak of Yuanfu could find themselves suppressed," Ouyang Kuangsheng cautioned in a hushed tone, causing Qin Wentian's expression to darken.

Qin Wentian was known for his decisiveness. So what if Situ Po had arrived? With a Perfection Boundary Mandate at the sixth level of Yuanfu, even against an eighth-level foe equipped with a Perfection Boundary Mandate, he could fight on equal footing or even seize victory.

Nevertheless, Situ Po shared similarities with Qin Wentian; both had gained access to all thirty-six Dao-Cultivation Halls. With two Mandates at the Perfection Boundary and a third reaching the peak of the Transformation Boundary, Situ Po's combat prowess was undoubtedly nightmarish. His capabilities transcended that of a typical cultivator at the eighth level of Yuanfu. To regard Situ Po as merely a ninth-level cultivator wouldn't do justice to his strength.

Ascending into the sky, Situ Po directed his gaze toward Qin Wentian and his companions, calmly issuing a challenge, "All of you, come at me together."

The crowd's expressions wavered. This was true arrogance, unmistakably so. Yet, no one could deny that Situ Po possessed the power to warrant such boldness.

Perhaps, his invitation for a collective attack was his way of avoiding the label of a bully of the weak. After all, he stood two levels above Qin Wentian in terms of cultivation.

"How audacious," Fan Le muttered, his eyes fixed on the airborne figure. He was well-acquainted with Situ Po's name. Prior to Qin Wentian's emergence, Situ Po had been the demonic talent stirring up tsunamis in the Unmatched Realm. In half a year, Situ Po would vie for the top positions on the Heavenly Fate Ranking. His current strength was astonishing; one could only wonder how much more formidable he would become in six months' time.

"Let me test his mettle," Chu Mang declared. As his voice faded, an Astral Bow materialized in his grasp.

"Swish!" Resplendent arrows streaked forth with such velocity that naked eyes couldn't track their trajectory.

Peng...

The arrows struck Situ Po's chest head-on, prompting gasps from onlookers. Yet, their astonishment deepened as they realized Situ Po remained motionless. He hadn't been budged by the relentless onslaught of arrows. A rotating sphere of light formed before his chest, like a cloak of stonelight, shielding him from the attack. Afterward, the shield dissipated as if it had never been there.

Even insta-shot arrows failed to penetrate his defense. This level of power paralleled Qin Wentian's feat when he caught the razor-sharp swords of the Sword Extinction Sect barehanded.

"The Mandate he's mastered is rather unique—Stone Mandate, similar to the Great Earth Mandate. The first insight of the Stone Mandate is 'Harden.' He can instantly manifest an armor of stonelight, making him impervious to attacks from eighth-level Yuanfu opponents," Ouyang Kuangsheng explained. Although he hadn't witnessed Situ Po's fights personally, he had gleaned information from tales circulating in the Unmatched Realm.

However, it appeared that Situ Po's prowess exceeded even the rumors.

Qin Wentian's expression grew solemn. He stood at the sixth level of Yuanfu, his Mandate of Force perfected. Situ Po, on the other hand, was at the eighth level, wielding both the Mandate of Swords for attack and the Mandate of Stone for defense. No wonder Situ Po had been held in such high regard within the Unmatched Realm.

Chu Mang swung his battle axe forward, but Qin Wentian motioned for him to halt. The Mystic Maiden Palace members were akin to tigers stalking their prey, and Situ Po's strength clearly surpassed theirs. Even if Qin Wentian were to engage in battle, he shouldn't drag Chu Mang and the others into the fray.

"Allow me," Qin Wentian declared as he ascended into the air, his bloodline awakening. Audible surges filled the air as his demonic qi surged, growing more potent with each passing moment.

His physical form underwent a transformation, leaving the crowd awestruck as they witnessed a suit of demonic scales enveloping Qin Wentian. His body enlarged and fortified, while his emanating demonic qi saturated the surroundings. His aura surged relentlessly, rendering many observers speechless.

Even a cultivator at the seventh level of Yuanfu wouldn't possess an aura as formidable as Qin Wentian's current one.

"BOOM!"

Situ Po stepped forward, heading directly for Qin Wentian. His own aura escalated, releasing an immensely domineering pressure.

With a single punch, spatial fissures cracked the air, propelling the force of his strike toward Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian gestured for Chu Mang to halt as he raised his hand, countering with a dragon-shaped imprint. A thunderous explosion reverberated, but Situ Po advanced undeterred, disregarding the chaotic energy swords birthed from the impact.

Within Qin Wentian's Yuanfu, his Divine Energy surged. Countless silhouettes of Garudas blotted out the sky, hurtling toward Situ Po.

Situ Po clapped his hands together with astonishing speed, shattering the Garuda illusions. With a finger's snap, a greyish halo of light formed above Qin Wentian. Despite himself, Qin Wentian felt his body stiffening, growing stony and unbending.

"BREAK!" Qin Wentian's expression turned grave. His sword-like Divine Energy surged forth, merging with his demonic qi and Mandate of Force. He forcefully shattered the petrification halo.

Nonetheless, Situ Po was already at his doorstep. While he might not have regarded Qin Wentian as a true rival, he understood the importance of overwhelming him in this battle.

A buzzing resonance hummed through the air as Situ Po swung his hands, conjuring sword intent that severed the barrage of arrows unleashed. Simultaneously, his left hand descended in a chopping motion, releasing a beam of light aimed at Qin Wentian.

"Watch out!" Fan Le and the others cried out. Qin Wentian's face paled as a surge of Divine Yuan Energy erupted from him. The slicing impact resounded. Fresh blood painted his robes red as the slash opened a laceration across his chest.

"He intends to kill."

Ouyang Kuangsheng's expression shifted abruptly. He soared upward, but at that very moment, the experts from the Mystic Maiden Palace pooled their strength. They directed their power to Li Shiyu, who ensnared Ouyang Kuangsheng with a web of mystical palm arts. Simultaneously, their focus shifted to Fan Le and Chu Mang, locking onto them as potential targets.

In mid-air, Qin Wentian quickly retreated, his unwavering gaze fixed on Situ Po.

"This realm is called the Unmatched Realm," Qin Wentian's voice dripped with icy determination.

"What of it? It's about time I put an end to you," Situ Po responded in a nonchalant tone. He stepped forward once more, releasing a surge of killing intent that enveloped Qin Wentian.

To Situ Po, Qin Wentian's monstrous talent was insignificant, merely making him a stronger insect in his eyes. He had never taken Qin Wentian seriously or paid him any attention. Yet today, Qin Wentian had dared to undermine the two things Situ Po held most dear—his sect and his woman.

As far as Situ Po was concerned, Qin Wentian's transgressions warranted death.

Situ Po's Mandate of Swords, perfected to the boundary of perfection, surged forth. His hand sliced through the air, causing Qin Wentian's body to instantly stiffen. It seemed that Situ Po was enveloping him in a defensive barrier while simultaneously constraining his movements.

Concurrently, Lin Haotian and the Sword Extinction Sect members ascended into the air, effectively cutting off Qin Wentian's path of retreat. They were poised to execute Situ Po's orders without question.

If Situ Po intended to kill Qin Wentian, he needed to do so swiftly and depart the Unmatched Realm before any of the eccentrics arrived. In the Azure Continent, the Unmatched Realm was unparalleled. Once a criminal exited its boundaries, the eccentrics wouldn't pursue them.

The onlookers' hearts raced as the situation escalated. It was apparent that Situ Po was truly intent on killing Qin Wentian. His arrogance was befitting of a person who stood at the pinnacle, one who adhered to laws of his own design.