Mr. Wu was undoubtedly a formidable figure of the Grandmaster Fifth Realm. His attack was weighty and viciously fierce, something Ling Chen currently could not match. Mr. Wu was only a few steps from Ling Chen, his palm attack slashing through the air, aiming to take Ling Chen's life.

"If you want my life, try this first!"

In this critical moment, a sharp glint flashed in Ling Chen's eyes. He suddenly pulled an object from his Heavenly Mansion Ring—it was the True Qi Tube.

Without another word, Ling Chen used all his strength to burst open the cap sealing the True Qi Tube.

The next instant, an exceedingly terrifying True Qi bullet abruptly shot out from the tube.

Ling Chen's body was flung backward by a dreadful recoil. The rear of the True Qi Tube slammed into his abdomen, making him cough up blood and stagger back.

The True Qi bullet ejected from the tube shot through the air like a streak of rainbow light.

BOOM!

A terrifying sonic boom echoed. The True Qi palm strike unleashed by Mr. Wu was instantly shattered by the True Qi bullet. The bullet's velocity didn't slow in the slightest as it then slammed squarely into Mr. Wu's body; he had no chance to dodge.

ZIP!

The True Qi bullet effortlessly penetrated Mr. Wu's body, emerging from his back like a laser. It continued, blasting large holes into several large trees behind him before disappearing hundreds of meters away.

Good heavens, the power of this True Qi Tube is incredible! Ling Chen's expression was one of utter shock. The recoil from the True Qi Tube alone had broken one of his ribs, nearly inflicting serious injuries. Moreover, the fired True Qi bullet could fly hundreds of meters, which was extremely terrifying.

How... how is this possible?

Mr. Wu stood stiffly rooted to the spot. He looked down at his chest where a bloody, gaping hole had appeared. A large area of flesh and blood, including his heart, seemed to have completely vaporized. Only his tenacious Life Force kept him from collapsing instantly.

The strength of this True Qi bullet was at least at the peak Grandmaster Level, perhaps even containing the sealed power of a Top Sky Apex Strong.

Otherwise, it couldn't possibly have killed him in an instant.

Damn it all! To think that I, a dignified Fifth Level Grandmaster, a Silver-ranked Assassin from the Shadow Tower, would die in such a place, at the hands of a mere Martial Master Realm nobody!

But by the time these thoughts crossed his mind, it was too late. His body, devoid of life, rapidly collapsed.

However, just as he was about to fall, Ling Chen caught his body and, without hesitation, promptly deployed the Absorption Technique.

As a Fifth Level Grandmaster, Mr. Wu's True Qi was exceptionally vast. As Ling Chen activated his technique, a tidal wave of True Qi surged from Mr. Wu's body, wildly pouring into Ling Chen's palm.

The sheer volume of this True Qi was so terrifying that Ling Chen's meridians swelled, feeling as if they would burst from the True Qi drawn from Mr. Wu's body.

How will I know the limit if I don't try?

Ling Chen didn't stop; instead, he intensified his efforts, absorbing all the True Qi Mr. Wu had cultivated.

He pushed Mr. Wu's corpse aside. Ling Chen immediately felt his body fill with a foreign True Qi. Mr. Wu's True Qi, though abundant, was not of high quality. Furthermore, its attributes were incompatible with Ling Chen's Sky-Piercing Sword Qi, and it was suffused with a bloody, violent aura.

Ling Chen's Martial Realm instantly soared to the peak of the Seventh Level, directly pushing towards the threshold of the Eighth Level.

If Ling Chen were to sit down and cultivate now, he could break through immediately.

But Ling Chen knew he couldn't do that. Mr. Wu's True Qi was exceedingly impure, and the aura it contained was mentally unsettling; it had to be thoroughly refined.

CLOP CLOP!

In the distance, the rapid sound of hooves approached, and Longyang's trio finally arrived.

"Mr. Wu must have finished the battle by now!" Longyang said, his expression relaxed.

"Definitely. With Mr. Wu's strength, dealing with that kid is a matter of one or two moves," one of the men in black beside him chimed in, laughing and chatting.

However, when they stopped in the clearing, the smiles on their faces abruptly froze.

For Ling Chen stood before them, clearly alive and well.

"Are you here to collect his corpse?" A cold smile touched Ling Chen's lips as he pointed the tip of his Cloud-hidden Sword at Mr. Wu's body before him.

"What?!" Longyang's eyes nearly popped out, his face a mask of horror. Ling Chen is perfectly fine, but Mr. Wu is dead? How is this possible?

"Could there be other Experts nearby?" one of the men in black asked, looking around nervously.

"Such a coincidence is impossible." Longyang's expression darkened. His gaze fell upon Ling Chen's hand, and then his eyes lit up.

So he used the True Qi Tube! Realization dawned on Longyang's face. He finally understood: Ling Chen must have used the True Qi Tube to kill Mr. Wu.

"Don't be afraid," Longyang said to the two behind him. "Although he killed Mr. Wu, he has already used his trump card. And look, he was clearly injured by Mr. Wu. Killing him now will be effortless."

Hearing this, the two men finally calmed down, thinking Longyang's analysis was sound. Even without Mr. Wu, they still had Longyang, the Heavenly List Eighth Expert. Even if they couldn't defeat an uninjured Ling Chen, dealing with a wounded one shouldn't be a problem.

"It's just a minor injury. More than enough to deal with you all," Ling Chen stated calmly.

"What a joke!" Cold light glinted in Longyang's eyes. "Do you think you're the only one with a trump card?" He was currently filled with regret and fury, regretting not eliminating Ling Chen sooner. Now, Ling Chen completely disregarded him.

A harsh glint flashed in his eyes as Longyang took out a Black Elixir and swallowed it.

The next moment, an incredibly violent fluctuation emanated from his body.

Longyang's Cultivation, in a short period, reached its limit, breaking through to the Great Master level in one fell swoop.

After breaking through to become a Grand Master, Longyang's face filled with confidence. A moment ago, he had been quite wary of Ling Chen, but now, having temporarily elevated his realm to the Great Master level, he no longer felt the slightest panic.

"Ling Chen, don't even think about leaving here alive today!" Longyang grinned, a sinister look in his eyes. Without the True Qi Tube, how can Ling Chen possibly contend with me, now that I've broken through to become a Grand Master?