CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: 3 SANDBAGS

"What the hell?"

A frown creased his brow, and Qi Xiu instinctively unleashed a ferocious Crimson Sand Palm.

The intense palm force stirred the air, instantly shattering the withered and blackened claw to pieces.

"This..."

Standing up, Qi Xiu’s pupils shrank. Before him, within a hundred meters, the ground was covered with withered and blackened limbs and body parts. A thick, foul-smelling mucus gathered into a small stream on the ground.

At the center of this mountain of corpses, Nie Xun, clothed in tattered garments and covered in blood, stood holding his spear with his back to Qi Xiu.

His imposing silhouette was like a majestic mountain, blocking all incoming dangers.

This guy...

Noticing the ground beneath Nie Xun’s feet almost soaked red with blood, Qi Xiu was slightly moved.

Such a tremendous blood loss. It was hard to imagine how serious the injuries were.

Stepping through the blood and mud, Qi Xiu drew Medicine Talismans while swiftly moving to Nie Xun’s side.

Nie Xun’s eyes were blood-red, his body covered with wounds.

Sensing someone approaching, Nie Xun, barely running on instinct, struggled to pull out his large spear.

With cracked lips, he hoarsely yelled, "Kill..."

"It’s me, Qi Xiu."

Pressing down on Nie Xun’s wrist, Qi Xiu swiftly inscribed several blood-stopping, life-preserving Medicine Talismans and infused them into Nie Xun’s body.

Whether it was hearing Qi Xiu’s voice or the effect of the Medicine Talismans, Nie Xun’s gaze regained a trace of lucidity.

"Daoist Qi... you’re awake. Is Lv Shuai..."

"He’s fine," Qi Xiu softly replied.

The Suppression Talisman now possessed a Divine Marvel that guarded the mind and spirit. It was enough to help Yuan Baiyi break free from the illusion.

"That’s good..."

A relieved smile spread across Nie Xun’s face. He closed his eyes, and his body fell stiffly backward.

He was too tired. He alone had held back the assault of the desiccated corpses for nearly four hours.

His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were almost completely drained. If it weren’t for his iron will, he would have collapsed long ago.

Supporting Nie Xun’s body, Qi Xiu moved him to a clean area. Using Nie Xun’s own blood, Qi Xiu continued to inscribe Medicine Talismans on his body.

But as eighteen Medicine Talismans were successively infused into Nie Xun’s body, his breathing, instead, grew fainter.

"His Essence, Qi, and Spirit are too depleted. His physical body can no longer contain his soul, so healing his flesh is of no use."

The voice that suddenly came from behind startled Qi Xiu. He nearly swung his bamboo staff in retaliation.

"You’re awake?" Seeing it was Yuan Baiyi who had spoken, Qi Xiu rose and said.

"Hmm, that Fox Demon’s illusion was somewhat ingenious, but it couldn’t trap me." As he spoke, Yuan Baiyi cast a few thoughtful glances at Qi Xiu.

An ordinary cultivator who hasn’t yet entered the Initiate Realm actually awakened before him. He’s truly capable.

"You said his physical body can’t contain his soul. How can we save him?" Qi Xiu couldn’t help asking.

"We can’t help with this; it depends on his own will," Yuan Baiyi replied, his expression calm as he stood beside the increasingly feeble Nie Xun, hands clasped behind his back. But the fists clenched behind him betrayed his unsettled heart.

Seeing Nie Xun’s breath grow so faint that his body began to feel cold, Qi Xiu suddenly shouted at him, "Nie Xun, someone’s trying to kill your Lv Shuai!"

"Presumptuous! Who dares to harm my Lv Shuai!"

Nie Xun, whose breath had been as thin as gossamer, suddenly roared, his eyes flying open. The stagnant qi and blood in his body began to circulate again, and his deathly pale complexion quickly regained some color.

After a single furious shout upon waking, Nie Xun’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted once more. But this time, his breathing had stabilized.

"Brother Qi, you certainly have many tricks up your sleeve. It looks like Yuan will need to prepare an extra token of appreciation for you. Hmm? Seeking death!"

Just as a smile began to form on Yuan Baiyi’s face, his expression suddenly hardened. He stepped forward, shielding Qi Xiu behind him.

The perfectly round and flawless True Gang Qi barrier instantly erupted!

CLANG! CLANG!—

Like the resounding clang of forging iron, sparks flew.

Three tall figures instantly bombarded the True Gang Qi barrier dozens of times, each strike powerful enough to pulverize rock.

"Ants trying to shake a great tree."

With a cold snort, Yuan Baiyi’s True Gang Qi barrier suddenly pulsed, and the rebounding force directly shattered the three figures.

But at this moment, a series of crisp bell sounds suddenly came from an unknown corner.

A bizarre event occurred: the scattered pieces of the shattered corpses all restored themselves, reassembling into three emotionless, tall, and cold men.

"Corpse Boys?"

Recognizing the familiar foes, Qi Xiu immediately said to Yuan Baiyi, "The situation has changed. That Fox Demon must have been swallowed by a Demonic Artifact called the Jade Bodhisattva. It’s the same stone demon that ambushed you before. I saw it in the illusion. That Fox Demon has now become one of its handmaidens. These three Corpse Boys are also servants of the Jade Bodhisattva. As long as the Jade Bodhisattva isn’t destroyed, they cannot be annihilated."

"No wonder. I was wondering how that Fox Demon, despite being so severely injured, could still use illusionary sorcery. It seems the Jade Bodhisattva took advantage of the Fox Demon’s grave injuries to Refine and Assimilate her. Not only has it healed its wounds, but it has also gained some of the Fox Demon’s abilities. To possess such a Divine Marvel of a Demonic Artifact is truly no small feat."

Turning to look in one direction—the place from where the Corpse-Control Bell had sounded—Yuan Baiyi leaped up and shot towards it like a streak of light.

"I’ll leave these three to you."

"What?"

Watching Yuan Baiyi suddenly fly away, Qi Xiu was left completely dumbfounded.

The resurrected Corpse Boys stood shoulder to shoulder. Their cold, wooden eyes slowly turned, focusing on the bewildered Qi Xiu.

I knew the Five True Powers wouldn’t be easy to obtain.

With a dejected expression, Qi Xiu sighed. Feeling their piercing gazes, his eyebrows twitched. "What are you looking at? Haven’t you been beaten before?"

Qi Xiu, already full of resentment after being pursued and trapped in the illusion, running around like a hunted dog for most of the day, slowly rolled up his sleeves. Faint, dark red cracks appeared under his skin.

Forget it. I was planning to advance the Crimson Sand Palm to the third realm soon anyway. My apologies, but you three will have to serve as my punching bags.

Before the word "bags" could fully leave his mouth, Qi Xiu suddenly looked up. His usually calm and peaceful eyes now burned with a fierce killing intent.

THUD!

With one heavy step, the ground shook violently. Rubble tumbled, and dust billowed!

Transforming into a fleeting shadow, Qi Xiu launched himself forward. Since integrating the Red Heart Palm and the Black Sand Palm into the Crimson Sand Palm, he had not yet fought with his full strength.

Today, he would fight to his heart’s content and vent the frustration pent up inside him!

Agile as a swallow in flight, Qi Xiu’s movements were swift and fluid. He instantly circled behind the three Corpse Boys and fiercely unleashed a palm strike.

Red Sand Great Hand Seal!

His five fingers formed an arcane hand seal. This was a lethal technique within the Crimson Sand Palm, accumulating Fiery Energy and palm poison, concentrating them within the hand seal. One strike contained tenfold the fire poison of a regular palm technique.

HISS—

The terrifying fire poison turned Qi Xiu’s entire right hand a blackish-red. Resembling a demon dragon’s claw, it ruthlessly plunged into one of the Corpse Boys’ bodies.

BOOM!

The fire poison exploded instantly. Countless cracks spiderwebbed across the Corpse Boy’s body, and flames forcefully spurted several inches from its seven orifices. Like a humanoid torch, it collapsed with a thunderous crash.

DINGLING—

No sooner had the Corpse Boy fallen than the Corpse-Control Bell responded. The charred corpse regenerated as if withered wood meeting spring, its flesh rapidly reconstituting. It revived within a breath’s time.

Retreating to create distance, Qi Xiu slowly flexed his fire poison-wreathed hands. He glanced at his proficiency panel, and an eyebrow rose.

Fighting with single-minded focus and full force increases proficiency much faster than regular practice. Effort always yields rewards. So, does that include attitude as well?