Chapter 376: Killing

As Qin Sang's voice rang out, a fierce wind howled, and the ground was suddenly engulfed in endless yellow sand. Kong Xin and the black-robed man's vision was completely obscured. When they extended their spiritual senses, they found their perception somewhat hindered, causing both of their expressions to change simultaneously. However, they soon realized that the yellow sand only had a bewildering effect and was not lethal; they could resist it by simply guarding their minds. "Beware of their magical artifacts!" Kong Xin shouted a warning.

In the cave, their original plan had been thwarted by Qin Sang's ebony sword, but they hadn't come away empty-handed. When fending off the spiritual entity's attacks, everyone's magical artifacts had been revealed, which allowed them to easily capture the cultivator named Bao. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators who possessed two or three top-grade protective artifacts were considered very wealthy. Kong Xin believed he had figured out Qin Sang and Yun Youzi's true capabilities, so even though they were ambushed, it was merely a two-on-two situation, and he wasn't overly panicked.

Amidst the yellow sand, everything was unknown. The black-robed man was about to meet up with Kong Xin when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind from his left, triggering an intense sense of alarm. Remembering the magical artifacts Kong Xin had mentioned, the black-robed man's mind raced. From his embrace, a pale bone staff flew out, striking towards the direction of the incoming wind. The bone staff glowed brightly, and with a series of loud cracks, it unexpectedly broke apart segment by segment, revealing itself to be refined from a demonic python's spine. The staff seemed to come alive, transforming into a white python. Its triangular head opened its maw, attempting to bite the approaching artifact. However, this artifact was neither the Black Dragon Stone nor the Spirit-Binding Rope; it was a mass of black mist—the poisonous miasma formed from the Heavenly Venom Veil!

The poisonous miasma was formless. The white python charged into it, passing straight through. Not only did it fail to stop the miasma's spread, but the miasma's speed increased, instantly engulfing the black-robed man. The black-robed man was momentarily stunned, then felt his consciousness waver. He cried out inwardly, "Not good!" By the time he thought to retrieve another artifact to defend against the miasma, it was already too late. Suddenly, a sword's cry pierced the air. A faint stinging pain in his chest jolted the black-robed man awake, just in time to see a sword light, like a startled swan, arrive in the blink of an eye.

Greatly alarmed, the black-robed man hastily channeled the bone staff to reverse its course. Unfortunately, the staff had just been sent out and was at its limit, and he had been momentarily slowed by the poisonous miasma. That single instant created an irreversible crisis. Overwhelmed with anxiety, his eyes bloodshot, the black-robed man desperately spat out a mouthful of vital blood onto the bone staff. With the replenishment of vital blood, the staff's speed surged, barely striking the tail of the flying sword. "Ah!" The black-robed man shrieked, clutching his right chest, and retreated awkwardly. Although wounded by a sword, he secretly felt fortunate that the flying sword had been struck by the bone staff at the last moment, forcing it to change direction. It had pierced his right chest instead of his vital heart, meaning his injuries could be healed with a spiritual pill.

However, Qin Sang and Yun Youzi coordinated closely, giving the black-robed man no time to recover. Before he could regain his footing, he suddenly saw a shadow engulfing him. He looked up in horror to see a colossal dark mass, like a small mountain, piercing through the yellow sand and plummeting down with immense force. The Black Dragon Stone descended from the sky! "Save me!" the black-robed man shrieked in terror, desperately urging his bone staff to block the Black Dragon Stone. Unfortunately, the bone staff had already expended most of its power in blocking Yun Youzi's flying sword. Now, even with the will, it lacked the strength to withstand the Black Dragon Stone. The white python formed from the bone staff wailed and its long body trembled. With a teeth-grinding sound of shattering, the bone staff broke into countless pieces. The Black Dragon Stone, its momentum undiminished and relentless, smashed mercilessly onto the black-robed man. 'Thud!' The Black Dragon Stone weighed a thousand jun. The black-robed man was already wounded, and his mere flesh could not withstand such a devastating blow. Along with his magical robe, he was almost crushed into a pulp, instantly dying.

At that moment, Kong Xin had just summoned his magical artifact to protect himself and was contemplating how to team up with the black-robed man to deal with the two cultivators. He and the black-robed man were not close partners, merely temporary allies. They had always been wary of each other, maintaining a subtle distance even when traveling together. In fact, Kong Xin harbored another intention. When he discovered the black-robed man was ambushed, Kong Xin immediately moved to assist, but he didn't exert his full strength, intending to let the black-robed man test their opponents. The black-robed man had long dwelled in Boundless Valley, earning a notorious reputation, and his abilities far surpassed those of cultivators at the same level. Even if he couldn't defeat the two cultivators, he could certainly hold out for a while. Kong Xin planned to seize the chaotic opportunity to launch his own attack, assassinate one person, and turn the tables in an instant. However, he hadn't anticipated that the black-robed man would be so fragile, so easily dealt with in just a few moves. From the moment he was ambushed until his death, less than three breaths of time had passed. There was also another possibility: the two cultivators were far stronger than they had imagined! Kong Xin was aghast and, without hesitation, turned to flee.

'Clang!' A metallic clash echoed. Kong Xin gripped his Blue Light Sword tightly, pointing it diagonally forward, his face grim. His escape route was blocked by a flying sword. This sword was Yun Youzi's, and after severely injuring the black-robed man, Yun Youzi had immediately shifted his target, giving Kong Xin no chance to flee. The flying sword hovered in mid-air, pointing at Kong Xin, and behind it, Yun Youzi's figure slowly emerged.

"I underestimated you two cultivators," Kong Xin said coldly. "How did you discover us?" Yun Youzi shook his head and replied, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it." "Why bother talking to him, fellow cultivator? The Winged Tiger Hawks have already noticed the commotion here. Let's kill him quickly and leave..." Qin Sang's voice grew closer and closer, and by the time he uttered the word "leave," he was already right beside them.

Kong Xin's expression subtly changed, his gaze becoming alert as he scanned his surroundings. He saw Qin Sang's figure emerge from nearby, releasing the Spirit-Binding Rope, forming a pincer attack with Yun Youzi.

Yun Youzi said no more, immediately commanding his sword to attack. Kong Xin's eyes flickered. He wielded his Blue Light Sword to block Yun Youzi's flying sword. Just as the two swords were about to clash, he suddenly unsealed the mark between his eyebrows. As his power surged, the Blue Light Sword also burst forth with dazzling light, attempting to overwhelm Yun Youzi in a single blow and break free from the encirclement.

"So, you *were* hiding your true strength, fellow cultivator," Yun Youzi said with a clear laugh, showing no alarm. As an experienced practitioner, he wouldn't be deceived by Kong Xin's trickery. With a raised hand, his flying sword released an aura no less formidable than the Blue Light Sword's, meeting the attack head-on. Although Yun Youzi's cultivation was not as high as Kong Xin's, he would not be defeated in a short time.

Seeing his Blue Light Sword firmly entangled by Yun Youzi, and the Spirit-Binding Rope dangerously close, Kong Xin felt a wave of despair. A ferocious expression suddenly appeared on his face. 'Thump, thump, thump...' Kong Xin's meridians shattered, and vital blood splattered as he transformed into a bloody figure, his aura surging. This was his cultivation technique's final desperate gamble. However, before his secret technique could be completed, the space behind his head silently twisted, and a transparent sword shadow slowly emerged. It passed straight through his skull!