Chapter 87: Killing and Seizing Treasure

Considering the scale and influence of the Litu Cult, it was improbable they dispatched a squad merely for spirit stones; for them, desires had long been sacrificed to their mission. They were here on a mission, and the task assigned by their cult was precisely to acquire this lizard skin, which possessed a trace of divinity.

The instant the lizard skin appeared, the eight members of the Litu Cult abruptly rose. A murderous aura exploded from them, each radiating the full power of Qi Condensation as they surged towards the basin. Their speed was astonishing; they closed the distance in a flash. Even more alarming was that despite being eight individuals, they moved as a single unit, their steps perfectly synchronized, like eight sharpened blades thrusting forward.

Rogue cultivators in their path had no time to dodge; the moment they were touched, they were instantly swept aside like reeds in a raging flood. The Litu Cult's formidable power caused the Sea Ghost cultivators, who had been observing them intently, to glare with cold intent.

Previously, during the fight for the two mid-Foundation Establishment lizard skins, the Sea Ghosts had only deployed ten individuals, leaving seven or eight behind. Now, those seven or eight cultivators charged forth simultaneously, each radiating the aura of a perfected cultivator. Notably, the burly man with a ghastly face appearing on his chest radiated an aura that surpassed the others, subtly hinting at a nascent Foundation Establishment intent.

The two factions instantly clashed in the basin, and a roar echoed. Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with cold light as his cultivation erupted, and he charged forward as well. Although the old man from Banquan Road had taken the previous lizard skin, Xu Qing wasn't overly concerned. Unless that old man intended never to return to the Seven Blood Eyes Sect. Otherwise, if he dared to appropriate Xu Qing's share upon their return, Xu Qing would ensure the old man paid back every last bit, with interest.

Thus, Xu Qing simply ignored it, not even uttering a single word. He roared as he neared the battle between the Litu Cult and the Sea Ghosts, his fists clenched, vital energy surging through his body. Behind him, the shadow of the Ba manifested with unprecedented clarity: a towering form, its cracked body radiating a red glow, as though molten lava flowed within. The extremely violent aura, far exceeding that of Qi Condensation, imbued the two punches Xu Qing threw upon approaching with power beyond that realm.

A thunderous roar echoed! One punch targeted the Litu Cult, the other the Sea Ghosts. Xu Qing, who typically refrained from acting, now unleashed his full might, his combat power completely unchained. This caused the entire basin to rumble violently, even stirring up a storm. Amidst this storm, the Sea Ghost members’ expressions changed, and the eight Litu Cult members also recoiled, staring sharply at Xu Qing.

"You're asking for death!"

"Seven Blood Eyes…"

Almost as those words were uttered, the Litu Cult and the Sea Ghost organization attacked simultaneously. While engaging each other, they diverted some of their strength to suppress Xu Qing, preventing him from snatching the three divine lizard skins floating in the center of the crowd.

Yet, Xu Qing's ferocity became fully evident at this moment. To him, having grown up in the slums and endured the scavenger camp, snatching was a familiar act. Ferocity filled Xu Qing's eyes. With a wave of his hand, droplets of water formed around him, whistling outwards in every direction. As the water droplets shot forth like rain, Xu Qing slammed violently into a Sea Ghost alien. Amidst the roar that drowned out the cracking sounds, the dagger in his hand swiftly ripped open the opponent, unleashing a spray of hot blood.

Without pausing, Xu Qing abruptly retreated, landing a direct punch on the chest of a Litu Cult cultivator behind him, eliciting a sound of shattering bones. As his murderous intent erupted, his Daoist robe became stained crimson with blood, and his refined features hardened into an utterly cold and severe expression. Having killed two individuals in quick succession, Xu Qing did not hesitate. His left hand immediately formed a seal, and the Ba shadow behind him roared, instantly transforming the water droplets shooting in all directions into burning oil that ignited spontaneously. From a distance, they resembled countless rockets, hurtling outwards in every direction.

Beneath the flames, everyone's shadows danced chaotically on the ground, like a demonic revelry. No one noticed a faint shadow moving amidst the mottled disarray, heading directly for the lizard skin. Seizing the opportunity of the spreading flames, Xu Qing abruptly retreated. The moment he pulled back, a shadow suddenly leaped from the ground near the three lizard skins, which were encircled by individuals preventing others from snatching them, and swiftly enveloped them.

Concurrently, the void twisted near the lizard skins as the old man from Banquan Road mysteriously appeared. With fanaticism in his eyes, he seized the opportunity presented by the chaos caused by Xu Qing's flames and lunged for the three lizard skins. However, he was clearly a step too late; the shadow had already whisked them away.

"Damn it!" The old man grabbed at empty air. As his body rapidly retreated, everyone else noticed what had happened. Their fury surged, and they ceased pursuing Xu Qing, instead charging directly at the old man. Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged. He used this opportunity to retreat swiftly, and secretly put away the lizard skin that his shadow had retrieved, heading straight down the mountain.

Just as he was about to exit the basin, the old man, who was being relentlessly pursued, suddenly roared. "I didn't take it! I only have this one storage bag on me, so look closely!" the old man from Banquan Road exclaimed, pulling out his storage bag and forcefully throwing it towards Xu Qing. "Kid, everything's in there. Keep it safe."

The old man, a ruthless character, knew his words wouldn't convince the crowd. So, with a dramatic flourish, he shamelessly shredded all his clothes in front of everyone, leaving only his underwear. After appearing semi-naked, he even spun around to prove he had nothing. Then, with a swift movement, he grabbed the large snake that had been observing nearby and rapidly fled down the mountain.

Though few truly believed him, some still gave chase, including members of the Sea Ghost and Litu Cult. However, midway through their pursuit, as they neared Xu Qing, both factions abruptly changed course, charging directly at him and attacking immediately. "No matter how covertly you acted, it's futile. Others might not sense the lizard skin's aura, but to me, it shines like a torch in the dark!"

"Hand over the lizard skin!"

Both sides unleashed astonishing techniques, striking with lightning speed. Xu Qing's body abruptly retreated, evading the attacks from both the Sea Ghosts and the Litu Cult. Killing intent flared in his eyes. He paid no heed to the storage bag the old man had thrown; he didn't believe it contained anything valuable. Moreover, Xu Qing hadn't expected to hide this from the cultivators present; the old man's opportune intervention had merely given him a fleeting hope.

But now that he was discovered, Xu Qing showed no fear. As killing intent flared anew in his eyes, he swiftly formed a hand seal and pushed forward, causing a blue talisman-treasure to materialize before him. As spiritual energy surged into it, the talisman-treasure activated, manifesting as a colossal statue. This statue, resembling a death symbol of some alien race, possessed three heads and six arms, radiating a chilling aura of death as it bore down upon the attacking cultivators of the Sea Ghost and Litu Cult.

This talisman-treasure, originally from the deceased Merman youth, had been used sparingly, thus retaining a relatively complete Foundation Establishment attack. As it exerted its suppressive power, both the Litu Cult and the Sea Ghost organization responded by activating their own glowing talisman-treasures to counter it. Amidst the tumultuous sounds, a massive shockwave propagated, pushing both sides back.

Though Xu Qing was powerful, the sheer number of cultivators overwhelmed him, causing blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth. However, the regenerative power of his purple crystal instantly healed this minor injury as soon as the blood appeared. Yet, his gaze deepened, as he stared coldly at the surrounding individuals. As he gazed, Xu Qing licked his lips. The metallic taste of blood at the corner of his mouth felt familiar, as if he were transported back to the slums, or the scavenger camp.

He disliked complications. Now that he had the lizard skin and everyone present was unwilling to let him leave, the situation became straightforward. "Just kill them all."

As Xu Qing murmured to himself, his gaze sent a subtle tremor through the hearts of the surrounding cultivators. They had encountered ruthless individuals before, but the killing intent emanating from the eyes of this Seven Blood Eyes youth made many cultivators' hearts skip a beat. Nevertheless, the allure of the divine lizard skin was too strong, preventing most of the cultivators present from backing down. Only a few rogue alien cultivators, who had observed Xu Qing's every move from the beginning, fully grasped his ruthlessness. They watched from a distance, not daring to approach easily, biding their time for an opportune moment. Among them were the straw-cloaked alien and the elephant-trunked man.

After a brief standoff, the Litu Cult made the first move. One of their members had died previously, and now the remaining seven attacked simultaneously. As long spears materialized in their hands, a murderous aura erupted, surging towards Xu Qing like an overwhelming tide. The Sea Ghost cultivators also moved, and some scattered rogue alien cultivators swiftly closed in.

But just then, someone let out a shrill scream while moving forward; their body instantly turned black and blue, and they collapsed, spewing black blood as the poison took effect. "It's poisoned!"

Such cultivators were not few; in the blink of an eye, seven or eight of them began bleeding from their seven orifices, startling the others. Xu Qing moved. His speed was incredible. In an instant, he closed in on the Litu Cult. His right hand savagely swung his dagger, blocking a spear from the front, and as he moved to evade another, the dagger he held flew from his grip, directly piercing the neck of an adjacent cultivator.

As blood welled forth, Xu Qing's right hand darted to his leather pouch, instantly producing black iron spikes. Instead of retreating, he surged forward, directly engaging the onrushing crowd in a deadly clash. Amidst the thunder, the Ba shadow reappeared, its monstrous roar spreading the sea of flames and further amplifying Xu Qing's physical strength.

For a time, the mountain-top basin was engulfed in slaughter!

Meanwhile, amidst the distant roars, the old man finally shook off his pursuers. Carrying the large snake, he glanced back and immediately began cursing furiously. "You brat, so it was you who took it!"

Amidst his curses, he accelerated. The large snake, however, was unwilling, struggling as if to help and emitting urgent gurgling sounds. The old man's eyes widened. "That brat is incredibly cunning, you foolish girl."

With that, he delivered a swift palm strike, knocking the large snake unconscious. He then hoisted it and fled rapidly, quickly reaching the shore. Without needing a boat, he simply leaped into the sea and vanished.