Chapter 885: Each with Their Own Aims

"Little girl, now you see how formidable your mother's bloodline power is, don't you? What a pity you didn't inherit it, or else you might have lived a bit longer, letting me drain you some more, haha..." Du Qingyang released Chen Yang's shoulder and laughed unrestrainedly.

Just then, another change occurred!

Chen Yang, whose body was still entwined by Du Qingyang, felt a slight loosening. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly raised his right arm, fingers together like a blade, and thrust it straight into the other's body.

Over twenty acupoints on his arm lit up in rings, each blazing with a blinding radiance like the sun, accompanied by an intense sensation of heat.

A "噗" sound was heard.

Blood flashed at Du Qingyang's waist, which was pierced once again.

Chen Yang's blade-like right arm, like the white bone longsword, only penetrated to the depth of a finger joint before it could go no further.

"Hmph, obstinate..." Du Qingyang glanced down at the wound and snorted coldly.

However, before his words faded, a "bang" explosion rang out.

Then "bang, bang" sounds followed in an unbroken chain!

Chen Yang's entire right arm, which had pierced into Du Qingyang's body, burst apart in all directions as the acupoints on its surface flashed with white light, blasting a large, bloody hole in Du Qingyang's waist.

Du Qingyang let out a roar, his raised head opening its bloody mouth wide again, gushing with crimson blood, and he angrily bit down toward Chen Yang.

The accumulated injuries within his body could no longer be suppressed; the colorful scales all over him flickered unsteadily, as if about to disappear at any moment.

Chen Yang's face showed great alarm. In his panic, he only had time to raise his remaining left arm to block in front of him.

"Whoosh..."

Just then, a whistling wind sounded.

A blurry figure shot over from afar, revealing a tall, blood-soaked silhouette.

It suddenly raised a fist, and with a series of "bang bang bang" explosions on its arm, over a dozen acupoints lit up. It slammed down fiercely onto the white bone longsword that Gu Qianxun had wedged into Du Qingyang's face.

A thunderous "boom" sounded.

Gu Qianxun felt her arm go numb; she could no longer hold the longsword, which flew out of her hand, and her body was sent flying by the shock.

The white bone blade swept across, no longer blocked by bone, and cut through in one stroke.

The colorful scales on Du Qingyang's neck shattered with a crack, and his head was split in two, falling from Chen Yang's shoulder with a dull thud.

Then the white bone blade flashed again, piercing into his lower abdomen at the dantian, shredding the nascent soul within.

Chen Yang's eyes flew wide open, half his face smeared with blood and filth. He stood frozen in place, still holding his left arm in a blocking posture, motionless.

This turn of events was too bizarre and swift; not only he, but even Gu Qianxun was stunned.

After a few breaths, she turned her head to look at the blood-soaked figure, a flicker of shock in her eyes. That person was none other than the sacrifice she had thought surely dead, Li Feiyu!

Naturally, it was Han Li.

What shocked her even more was that Han Li now had a full seventy-two acupoints glowing all over his body.

Besides the fifty-four acupoints he had cultivated through the "Great Zhou Tian Star Origin Art" and the "Feather Transformation Ascension Art," there were also eighteen new acupoints on his arms.

"The 'Vajra Force Art'... How is that possible?" Gu Qianxun noticed the positions of the acupoints on Han Li's arms, her face full of disbelief, and she couldn't help but exclaim.

How much time had passed since they exchanged techniques? How could this person have opened all eighteen acupoints that the 'Vajra Force Art' could penetrate? Could it be because of the Gara Blood Array?

Gu Qianxun stared at the bloodstained Han Li, her expression hesitant, making no move.

At that moment, Chen Yang finally came to his senses. After a slight tremor, he quickly returned to normal.

Du Qingyang was already dead, so naturally he could no longer restrain him. As Chen Yang slowly stood up, the former's body collapsed completely, and the white bone longsword embedded in it shattered as well.

The three of them glanced at each other, and for a moment, all fell silent, none making any further move.

Whether by intention or not, they had, through combined effort, killed Du Qingyang.

After a moment, it was Han Li who moved first.

"If possible, I don't want to fight you anymore." He stepped back, putting some distance between himself and the other two, and said.

Chen Yang and Gu Qianxun both stepped back simultaneously, their eyes full of wariness.

"Fellow Daoist Li, I feel the same way." Gu Qianxun quickly responded.

"Both of you, we just cooperated to survive; let's not turn on each other." Chen Yang said with a stiff smile.

With that, he took out a black stone box from his bosom, retrieved a blood-red pill, and swallowed it.

At the wound on his right arm, where the white bone was exposed and bloody, white and blood-colored spiritual light interwove, and countless granulations grew wildly in the light. In an instant, a seemingly intact right arm began to take shape.

Then Chen Yang produced a piece of beast hide from somewhere and wrapped this arm, which looked as good as new.

"What exactly is going on?" Han Li wiped the blood from his face and asked.

"Fellow Daoist Li, isn't it clear? This was a joint plan between me and Captain Chen Yang... no, I should say City Lord Chen Yang. It's just that we didn't expect that in the end, it would be Fellow Daoist Li who delivered the final blow to kill him." Gu Qianxun said with a smile.

"So, that bottle of blood-red liquid I took was also left by you?" Han Li's heart stirred, and he asked calmly.

It seemed that Gu Qianxun and Chen Yang, one seeking revenge and the other the city lord's position, had taken the opportunity to tamper with the Gara Blood Array to eliminate Du Qingyang.

As a result, by a twist of fate, Han Li had turned misfortune into fortune, devouring the blood qi and star power from Du Qingyang and the others, greatly enhancing his physical strength.

"Indeed, I placed it there. But rest assured, Fellow Daoist Li, that bottle was merely the fetal blood of a mad-blooded scale rat, refined a bit. It only catalyzes the bloodline within your body, making it more狂暴, and has no toxic effects itself." Gu Qianxun said with a hint of apology.

"No toxic effects... You say that rather lightly, don't you?" Han Li sneered.

"If you want to blame me, Fellow Daoist Li, I have nothing to say. Indeed, the purpose of giving you that substance was to use you to counter Du Qingyang, and we did not consider what would become of you." Gu Qianxun said frankly.

"Regarding this matter, Fellow Daoist Li, allow me to apologize first. If I hadn't invited you to Qingyang City, your true spirit bloodline wouldn't have been coveted by Du Qingyang, and naturally, you wouldn't have encountered this series of troubles. My previous attacks on you were also under Du Qingyang's orders, and I had no choice." Chen Yang bowed respectfully to Han Li and said.

"Since it was all unavoidable, now that things have come to this, there's no need to dwell on it." Han Li showed a relieved smile and said.

He didn't believe a word from Chen Yang and Gu Qianxun.

In that situation, he was merely a pawn in their hands, hardly worth their consideration.

The only reason they were willing to speak kindly to him now was that they couldn't see through his strength and were wary of him.

"Brother Li is magnanimous; I am truly impressed." Gu Qianxun smiled and bowed.

"Since we've cleared the air, I have no reason to stay. I'll take my leave." Han Li cupped his hands to the two and prepared to depart.

The black calamity worm inside him had not yet been removed, and his life was in danger at any moment. Only by finding the black calamity stone as soon as possible could he truly escape danger.

"Brother Li, don't rush. Although Du Qingyang and his trusted four captains are dead, there are still many remnants of his forces. If we don't completely control them, we won't have peace. I've blown up my acupoints, and this right arm is useless for the short term. So, I have one more request..." Seeing Han Li about to leave, Chen Yang quickly stopped him.

"Fellow Daoist Chen Yang wants me to help you ascend to the position of Qingyang City Lord?" Han Li stopped and turned around.

"Exactly. After this incident, I've realized how powerful you truly are, Fellow Daoist Li. I'd like to invite you to join the alliance between me and Fellow Daoist Gu. Once we take Qingyang City together, not only will you be safe, but you'll also have a stable supply of beast cores for future cultivation, with no worries at all." Chen Yang nodded.

Han Li hesitated, pondered silently for a moment, then said: "I can help you, but you must agree to two conditions, or no deal."

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist." Chen Yang's brow furrowed slightly.

"Before entering the Xuan Dou Arena, I was implanted with a black calamity worm. It must be removed. Also, my companions Shi Kong and the Crab Immortal, who came with me earlier, must be released." Han Li said.

"Fellow Daoist Li, to be honest, the black calamity worm禁制 was exclusively developed by Du Qingyang. I don't know how to解除 it either. However, Du Qingyang had a secret treasury, heavily guarded. As the black calamity worm was his main means of controlling the Xuan Dou Arena, the method to解除 it might be stored there. We need to go and look." Chen Yang sighed.

"A treasury? Let's go take a look then." Han Li nodded.

"As for Fellow Daoist Shi Kong, I'm sorry... For some reason, he was sent to Xuan City by Du Qingcheng long ago, and there's been no news since. As for the Crab Immortal, he has been by my side all these years, treated as a servant. I never mistreated him; in fact, we got along quite well. If he is willing to return to your side, I naturally won't object." Chen Yang then looked at the Crab Immortal standing in the distance.

Han Li also turned his head and looked over.

But the Crab Immortal seemed not to hear, making no move, appearing indifferent.

Han Li's heart sank, but he said nothing more.

The cave fell silent for over ten breaths, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.

"Let's discuss this later. Fellow Daoist Chen Yang, why don't you take us to the city lord's secret treasury first to find a way to解除 the black calamity worm?" Gu Qianxun broke the stalemate.

"Well said. But before we go, we need to tidy up here and ourselves." Chen Yang glanced at the messy cave and the three of them covered in filth, and said.