Chapter 1296: Poisoned Needle

As the domain materialized, forming a solid armor around him, Zhang Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, the opponent's sword aura descended, entering the domain's range.

A sizzling sound erupted! Like a hot iron plunged into ice, the sword aura, though impeded, continued to advance slowly.

"It seems my domain isn't truly invincible," Zhang Xuan realized. "If the opponent's strength exceeds its capacity, it's still difficult to hold out."

He had just formed the domain and tested it with the Golden Origin Cauldron. However, the cauldron's wielder was only at the late stage of Spirit Severing realm and not skilled in offense, so he was easily controlled. Now, Ji Lingfeng, having consumed the Mad Demon Power-Breaking Pill and attacking with a longsword at the peak of the Spirit Severing realm, proved more challenging to withstand.

"However, with the domain obstructing it, this powerful sword qi can no longer harm me!"

While the domain couldn't completely neutralize it, it was enough to prevent him from being harmed.

With a soft snort, Zhang Xuan swept his palm. *Whoosh!* The slowly advancing sword qi immediately dissipated.

Although ice couldn't completely stop a hot iron, it could still dissipate its heat, rendering it powerless to advance. Similarly, the opponent's sword qi, no matter how formidable, had its power drained by the domain's obstruction, becoming as harmless as a cooled iron.

"You've had your turn; now it's mine!" After shattering the sword qi, Zhang Xuan swayed, covering a hundred meters in an instant. He reappeared behind his opponent and unleashed a punch.

With a force that seemed to reverse galaxies and make rivers flow backward, a fierce power bore down directly on Ji Lingfeng's back.

Even without activating the second stage of the Empty Sky Manual, Zhang Xuan's current strength was comparable to a half-step Domain realm cultivator. Combined with his Path of Heaven Fist Art, even Yue Yiquan would struggle to contend, let alone Ji Lingfeng.

"Damn it…" Ji Lingfeng's face contorted in a grimace. He hadn't expected that even after consuming the pill and unleashing his full power, his opponent could still resist and even counterattack. His longsword reversed and thrust out from under his armpit.

"What incredible reaction speed…" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed. He had previously assumed that with his opponent's power surge, Ji Lingfeng would surely lose his rationality, making him an easy target. Yet, his combat reflexes were remarkably quick. He truly lived up to his reputation as a black market fighter, able to find opportunities to counterattack even when on the defensive. Just now, if Zhang Xuan's punch had continued, he might have been impaled by the longsword before even inflicting damage.

"I, too, have been through countless battles; let's see who's superior!" Zhang Xuan's competitive spirit was immediately ignited. Throughout his career, he had always defeated opponents in a single move, spotting their flaws and easily overwhelming them. He had rarely experienced a truly life-or-death struggle. Now, with his opponent's swift reactions and comparable strength, Zhang Xuan's desire to win was instantly spurred.

Changing his fist to a palm, Zhang Xuan lightly tapped forward. The longsword would have certainly struck him, but with this quick change, his palm pressed against the sword's blade, continuing its forward motion. His fingertip jabbed Ji Lingfeng's back, causing Ji Lingfeng to feel his entire body tremble as countless meridians shattered. He coughed up a mouthful of blood with a gasp.

Ji Lingfeng used the momentum to lunge forward, neutralizing most of the force. He quickly spun around, intending to counterattack, but immediately felt a chill run down his spine. His speed was fast, but Zhang Xuan's was even faster. Like a plaster, Zhang Xuan stuck to his back, impossible to shake off no matter how he turned!

"What bizarre movement technique…" Ji Lingfeng's longsword continuously thrust backward, forming a protective circle, his heart filled with awe and dread.

Just as Zhang Xuan had surmised, Ji Lingfeng had previously concealed his identity and participated in numerous life-or-death battles in the black market, earning the title "Hundred-Crown King." His combat prowess was astonishing! At the same cultivation level, even a Combat Master might not be his match. Yet, this young man before him, whose cultivation was significantly lower, and most critically, who had taken the Mad Demon Power-Breaking Pill, was still being beaten to the point of continuously spitting blood. *He was simply too strong!*

"It's not easy for me to kill you, but you won't find it simple to kill me either…" A glint flashed in Ji Lingfeng's eyes. His true qi controlled the longsword, continuously thrusting backward. With his left hand, he formed a hand seal and lightly tapped. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Hundreds of chilling needles shot out from his back like a sudden downpour—the Pear Blossom Needles in the Storm!

To remain undefeated in deathmatches, one needed not only formidable combat prowess and ruthlessness but, more importantly, an endless arsenal of lethal techniques. The Pear Blossom Needles in the Storm was precisely his trump card. Each fine needle was crafted from special materials, capable of easily piercing the skin of a half-step Spirit Severing realm expert. Moreover, it contained a potent venom that brought instant death upon contact! Countless formidable cultivators had fallen victim to this technique.

*Whoosh!* As the hidden weapons launched, Ji Lingfeng rapidly lunged forward, finally escaping his opponent's pursuit. Turning around, he looked at the young man nearby, his pupils suddenly constricting. He saw the light around Zhang Xuan's body flicker once more, and countless fine needles had already landed in his palm. Zhang Xuan appeared quite curious, playing with them one by one.

"You're practically asking for death…" Seeing Zhang Xuan's actions, Ji Lingfeng clenched his fists, brimming with excited anticipation. The potent poison on those fine needles had been crafted by a peak Seven-Star Poison Master. It didn't even need to pierce the skin; mere contact would result in instant poisoning and death! Yet, his opponent was actually playing with them… he must truly be tired of living!

Just as Ji Lingfeng was certain his opponent was poisoned and would collapse at any moment, the young man opposite him looked up, shaking his head with a disappointed expression. "This poison is too low-grade; you've probably been swindled. It might scare people, but it's utterly incapable of killing anyone!" With that, he deliberately squeezed the tip of a needle.

"You know there's poison on them?" Ji Lingfeng's pupils contracted. The potent poison, crafted by a Seven-Star Poison Master, was colorless and odorless, making it undetectable to ordinary people. Yet his opponent had discovered it just by handling the needles… How did he do it?

"If I couldn't detect such an obvious poison, I wouldn't deserve to live…" Zhang Xuan sighed, then with a flick of his wrist, the myriad fine needles he had caught shot forward like a torrential downpour.

Although he hadn't specifically practiced hidden weapon techniques, he had cultivated various martial arts in the Combat Master Hall, so releasing a few fine needles was simple. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Empowered by his strength, the needles moved with lightning speed, reaching Ji Lingfeng in an instant.

Knowing the needles were poisonous, Ji Lingfeng dared not directly parry them. He twirled his longsword, creating an arc in front of him. *Clang, clang, clang!* As expected of the Qianchong Empire's Black Market Overseer, his swordsmanship was profound, having reached at least the Upper Sword Heart realm. Sword light flashed, deflecting all the needles, which then clattered to the ground.

"Dream on if you think you can hurt me with my own hidden weapons…" Ji Lingfeng scoffed after deflecting the needles. Before he could finish speaking, his vision blurred. Zhang Xuan had already appeared before him and delivered a resounding slap.

While launching the hidden weapons, Zhang Xuan had actually followed closely behind, getting in close once more. "You…" Ji Lingfeng's face turned ashen. He twirled his longsword, attempting to counterattack, but it was already too late. A searing pain erupted on his face, sending him flying backward. A sweet taste filled his throat as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his teeth scattering across the ground.

That slap from Zhang Xuan was delivered with full force. If Ji Lingfeng hadn't consumed the pill and boosted his cultivation, his head might have exploded. Even so, he still felt a dizzy spell, as if he might faint at any moment.

"Damn it…" Ji Lingfeng trembled all over, consumed by fury. Having lived for several hundred years, he had now suffered two consecutive losses, both at the hands of the same person. The intense humiliation made him feel as though he would explode.

"I'll kill you!" Ji Lingfeng roared, his true qi boiling, ready to charge. But before he could move, he saw a playful smile in the young man's eyes. "I advise you not to move now, and certainly don't circulate your true qi… otherwise, I'm afraid you'll die even faster."

"What do you mean?" Ji Lingfeng narrowed his eyes, seeing the unconcerned look on his opponent's face.

"Nothing much… When I just slapped you, I discreetly inserted two needles into your face." Zhang Xuan's expression remained perfectly nonchalant.

"Needles?" Ji Lingfeng's body stiffened. Only then did he realize that two fine needles had, at some point, been embedded in his face. He hadn't noticed them due to the severity of the slap. "Antidote…" He pulled out the needles, quickly flipped his wrist, retrieved a pill, and swallowed it whole.

He had personally witnessed the potency of the fine needles' venom; even a peak Spirit Severing realm cultivator would succumb in less than three breaths. Although he had consumed a pill and gained a significant power boost, he wouldn't last more than ten seconds against such a potent toxin.

"Taking the antidote now might spare you death, but if I'm not mistaken, the venom's initial assault will cause a brief paralysis," Zhang Xuan said with a faint smile, slowly approaching. "You weren't my match at your peak; how will you defend yourself now…?" He raised his palm and gently pressed down. *Crack!* An immense force descended. Ji Lingfeng felt all his bones instantly shatter, and he collapsed, sprawled out on the ground.

His opponent was right; he wasn't a match at his peak, and now, poisoned, resistance was impossible.

"Do you have any other trump cards? Bring them out!" Zhang Xuan looked down at him, utterly at ease, as Ji Lingfeng lay pinned to the ground, unable to move. "If this is all you have to kill me, don't you find it a bit ridiculous?" They had already clashed in the underground black market, and Ji Lingfeng knew about Zhang Xuan's hundreds of puppets and his long saber. Yet, he still dared to launch a sneak attack and vow to kill him… Relying on just one pill and a single longsword seemed overly audacious.

"As expected of a Master Teacher, truly clever… but clever people often die early!" Ji Lingfeng spat out blood once more, his face contorting into a grimace. With a flick of his wrist, the longsword immediately shot through the air, plunging directly into the nearby river. "The sword is yours; it's your turn now…" As he shouted, Zhang Xuan watched as the river surface immediately began to boil.

A colossal force surged upward, as if a sharp sword was emerging from the depths. Following it, an old man slowly stepped out of the churning water, steadily rising into the air, ascending like a deity.

"No wonder Ji Lingfeng wanted you dead; you are indeed extraordinary." The old man chuckled softly, his gaze turning cold. "But now that you've met me, you can die…" *Whoosh!* As his words finished, he pointed two fingers like a sword, and a blade of sword light whistled down.