Chapter 227: Suppressing Sima Ling

As one of the major sects within the Seven Sect Alliance, the individual dispatched by the Monster Hunting Gate at a time when the Alliance sought to assert its authority within the Seven Blood Eyes naturally held immense significance. This was, after all, a matter of prestige for the Monster Hunting Gate. For major sects, prestige was paramount, directly influencing their ranking and future interests. In this harsh world, the weak often had no right to exist.

Thus, Sima Ling, the Monster Hunting Gate's top Heavenly Talent in the Foundation Establishment realm, possessed extensive combat prowess, cultivation, and battle experience, all cultivated with the sect's full support.

His voice was chilling, his words still echoing, yet his finger was already inches from Xu Qing's face, poised to strike. What awaited him, however, was Xu Qing's cold gaze and the surge of flames within his body. Xu Qing's combat strength, cultivation, and battle experience were forged through relentless "gu" cultivation and slaughter. Unlike Sima Ling, who might survive a single failure, Xu Qing's past experiences and every life-or-death battle carried the ultimate stakes: failure meant death. Therefore, his acquired experience was far more profound and deeply ingrained.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing entered his Profound Radiance state. All eighty-two of his magic apertures ignited like immense furnaces, unleashing a formidable power. Simultaneously, the Golden Crow behind him radiated intense heat, circulating throughout his body, instantly elevating his combat strength to the four-fire level. His physical body, augmented by an emperor-tier cultivation technique, made Xu Qing's combat strength exceptionally ferocious. Furthermore, compared to his earlier fight with the four-fire cultivator, Mian Chen, he had now opened nearly twenty more magic apertures. His internal spiritual power was abundant, and his life flame burned astonishingly. A single punch from his right hand, unleashed in an instant, struck Sima Ling's right hand with devastating force.

A thunderous roar echoed, shaking the heavens. The surrounding seawater exploded, and the soil on the shore cracked, sending violent shockwaves rumbling outwards. Sima Ling's expression changed instantly; he recoiled sharply, his eyes revealing a profound solemnity. He clearly hadn't anticipated Xu Qing's combat power reaching such a level in an instant. This level of power seemed abnormal to him, yet he couldn't discern its true nature. All he could sense from within Xu Qing was an intense concentration of flames, while everything else remained indistinct.

"You—" Before Sima Ling could finish his sentence, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. He took a swift step forward, instantly closing the distance. His right hand transformed, a dagger of malevolent fire appearing, and he slashed it fiercely towards Sima Ling's neck.

Sima Ling's eyes blazed with murderous intent. He formed a hand seal and pressed it to his chest. The moment Xu Qing's dagger approached, he abruptly opened his mouth and let out a low roar. This roar carried a strange power. As it reverberated, Sima Ling's body produced an overlapping shadow—a grotesque entity, entirely decayed and clad in tattered black robes, emanating a sudden chill. It floated directly out of Sima Ling's body and lunged viciously towards Xu Qing. But in the next instant, Xu Qing's shadow beneath his feet flickered, forming a tree-like silhouette invisible to others. It opened its gaping maw and inhaled sharply. Instantly, the grotesque entity blurred and collapsed. Simultaneously, a black bolt of lightning whistled from the side, seizing the opportunity to strike directly at Sima Ling.

This sight made Sima Ling frown. As he rapidly retreated, he waved his hand, and a blue scale flew out, blocking the black iron rod. The moment they collided, the scale released countless grey threads, which frantically entangled the black iron rod, completely halting its advance. However, they could not stop the bolts of lightning that erupted from the black iron rod, which shot directly towards Sima Ling.

Sima Ling was about to evade, but Xu Qing's figure was already close. His right hand unleashed a fierce palm strike, and a violent sea of flames erupted from his body, forming a colossal palm-shaped shadow that slammed directly towards Sima Ling. With a thunderous boom, Sima Ling's mind reeled, forcing him to retreat once more. Yet, his eyes held a savage glint. Just as he was about to retaliate, a Golden Crow phantom suddenly emerged from within the incoming fiery palm, fiercely sucking towards him.

"This cultivation technique..." Sima Ling's entire body trembled violently. His eyes widened, and a tempest raged within his mind. As he formed a hand seal, strands of hair rapidly sprouted from his chest. These hairs swiftly encircled him, enveloping his entire body to form a protective barrier. In the blink of an eye, amidst a deafening roar, Sima Ling, protected by countless hairs, was forced backward by Xu Qing's immense strength and slammed directly into the ground.

Seizing the initiative, Xu Qing did not hesitate. He moved with swift brutality, closing in rapidly before unleashing a punch. However, the moment his fist descended, the hairs on Sima Ling's body scattered in unison, shooting towards Xu Qing like countless arrows. A series of piercing sounds echoed as they penetrated Xu Qing's body. Yet, Xu Qing didn't even flinch, his expression unwavering. Instead, his right hand shot out, grabbing a handful of these hairs and pulling fiercely.

Sima Ling's expression instantly changed drastically. Unable to retreat, he was forcibly dragged forward. His eyes filled with ferocity, and he let out a low growl. A grotesque phantom with a green face and fangs materialized outside his body, just about to detach itself and lunge at Xu Qing. However, Xu Qing had already pulled him directly in front of him. Ignoring the grotesque entity, Xu Qing tilted his head back slightly, then wordlessly slammed it fiercely into Sima Ling's face.

Xu Qing's combat style was always characterized by its ruthless intensity—a fact that even the mad Captain found astonishing, highlighting its sheer brutality. With a loud thud, Sima Ling's face was covered in blood. The green-faced, fanged grotesque entity on his body was also slammed back into Sima Ling's body by Xu Qing's impact, and the strands of hair connecting him to Xu Qing disintegrated.

He stumbled backward and fell to the ground, his heart inwardly startled by Xu Qing's ruthlessness. Yet, his expression betrayed no fear. His eyes still held murderous intent, and a sinister grin appeared on his lips. "I underestimated you," he scoffed, "but that was just a warm-up."

As he spoke, Sima Ling's right hand abruptly pressed against his brow. Immediately, his body rumbled. In the world behind his eyes, all grotesque entities vanished, replaced by a grotesque swelling across his entire body, as one sinister face after another appeared on his skin. Within him, a vast number of grotesque entities were sealed. As these entities struggled to manifest, their aura continuously erupted. From a distance, it looked as if a world was burning intensely, the explosive high temperatures distorting the surroundings and causing the nearby seawater to steam. Even the ground began to crack.

The overwhelming pressure transformed into a swirling storm of aura, sweeping in all directions. All the Nightwing cultivators and Beast Hunt Division disciples in the vicinity changed expressions, spitting blood as they uniformly retreated, their faces filled with horror. Previously, Sima Ling's mere step had been a show of oppressive might, but now, his full-power strike created fluctuations that not only pushed everyone back but also made their minds hum, scorching their bodies and souls, leaving them heavily wounded. This scene sent shockwaves through everyone's minds, especially the chiefs of the Beast Hunt Division from the First and Third Peaks. As two-fire cultivators, their perception was clearer, and they sensed signs that their own life flames were on the verge of being forcibly extinguished in that instant.

Even though they had known Sima Ling was formidable, their minds were still profoundly shaken. Only Xu Qing remained impassive, coldly observing the rampaging Sima Ling, his gaze as calm as still water.

"I despise your gaze!" Sima Ling, now grotesque and appearing like a vengeful spirit, was about to charge.

But just then, his expression suddenly contorted violently. His body shivered, and a visible blackness spread across his entire form. An unprecedented, excruciating pain intensely manifested within him. It was the small black insects! Countless small black insects had spread throughout the area the moment Xu Qing made his move, seeking any opportunity to burrow into Sima Ling's body. Finally, with Xu Qing seizing the initiative and unleashing his attacks, they found their moment and silently burrowed inside.

The moment they entered his body, they began frantically devouring Sima Ling's internal organs, simultaneously emitting a massive amount of heteromorphism and potent venom. It was well known that even the leader of the Starfish race had shown signs of distress after being afflicted by this poison, let alone Sima Ling. As his mind reeled in horror, the grotesque faces that had just emerged on his body all changed color in unison, emitting shrill cries. Some even seemed to gain regenerative power, attempting to burst out of his flesh. This scene instantly sent shockwaves through Sima Ling's heart. He knew the reason: the sudden appearance of a large amount of heteromorphism within him was causing the sealed grotesque entities to show signs of losing control. Moreover, the outbreak of the poison made him dizzy and disoriented, his body rapidly weakening. With a scream, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and for the first time, terror appeared in his eyes. His body rapidly retreated; he was actually trying to escape.

Xu Qing had been waiting for this moment. Without the slightest hesitation, he pursued. His right hand rose as his full aura erupted, a towering sea of flames manifesting behind him, poised to suppress Sima Ling. "Save me!" Sima Ling cried out in terror, roaring frantically as he retreated. The surrounding Nightwing and Beast Hunt Division members were all inwardly horrified at this sight, their gazes at Xu Qing filled with shock.

They knew Xu Qing was powerful, and they had guessed that he must have some backing to dare ignore Sima Ling's order for arrest. But they had not imagined that Xu Qing's strength was such that he could so easily suppress a four-fire Heavenly Talent from the Wanggu Continent. It was well known that these past few days, the Heavenly Talents from the Seven Sect Alliance had challenged the various peak masters, reaching the pinnacle of their prestige. This had forced the Seven Blood Eyes disciples to lower their heads while also grudgingly admitting the formidable power of these challengers. Yet, today, all of that seemed to change.

Just then, as Sima Ling cried for help and Xu Qing attacked, a cold snort echoed from a distance, reverberating all around and unleashing waves of formidable pressure that made everyone's hearts tremble. "How audacious!" As the voice rang out, Sima Ling's protector, who had been observing the battle from a distance, stood up from the rooftop. His face was chillingly grim as he cast a deep gaze at Xu Qing, then took a step forward.

"You impudent wretch, you ought to be suppressed." Xu Qing abruptly turned his head. He had long sensed the protector's presence. Now, he raised his right hand and pointed to the sky, speaking the first words of this battle.

"The Beast Hunt Division, acting on the orders of Sixth Elder, is apprehending the Nightwing. Here, the culprits are caught red-handed. According to Seven Blood Eyes Regulation Nine and Beast Hunt Division Regulation Three, during law enforcement, all interferers shall be treated as accomplices. I request the sect's grand formation to suppress this cultivator who is interfering with law enforcement!" While the Seven Sect Alliance visitors indeed possessed high authority over formations, no matter how high, this was still the Seven Blood Eyes, and no authority surpassed its rules!

Earlier, they had ignored the formation to enter Seven Blood Eyes, which could be explained by the formation recognizing them as allies. However, even allies were not permitted to interfere with law enforcement. Strict rules were the very foundation of Seven Blood Eyes! Moreover, while the protector's cultivation was higher than the Heavenly Talent's, their identity was different; they were not part of the sequential hierarchy, and thus their authority was naturally insufficient. Therefore, while suppressing a Seven Sect Heavenly Talent using the formation might yield questionable results, Xu Qing was confident in suppressing the protector. Especially since the Beast Hunt Division's operation against the Nightwing was personally sanctioned by Sixth Elder, any authority attempting to override it would be invalid.

The very next moment, a voice devoid of any emotion resonated in all directions. "Judgment approved!"