Chapter 1277: Poison Needle

As soon as the domain appeared, it was like forming a solid armor around him. Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the opponent's sword light descended, entering the domain's range.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!

Like a branding iron falling into ice, the speed of the sword light was hindered, yet it still advanced slowly.

It seems my domain is not truly invincible. If the opponent's power exceeds its tolerance, it is still difficult to hold on...

Zhang Xuan understood.

The domain had just been formed, and he had tested it with the Gold Origin Cauldron. However, that fellow only had the strength of the late Out-of-Body stage and was not skilled in offense, so he was easily controlled. Now, Ji Lingfeng, having taken the Mad Demon Power Pill and attacking with a peak Out-of-Body stage longsword, was somewhat difficult to withstand.

But with the domain's obstruction, this level of sword energy can no longer harm me!

Although it was somewhat difficult to resist, with the domain blocking, it was impossible for him to be harmed.

With a light snort, Zhang Xuan brushed his palm.

Swish!

The slowly advancing sword energy instantly dissipated.

Although the ice could not stop the scorching branding iron, it could still extinguish the heat on its surface, rendering it powerless to advance further.

The opponent's sword aura, though unmatched in ferocity, was obstructed by the domain, its power already dissipated, and like the ice-cooled branding iron, it no longer posed any threat.

"You've finished your attack—now take one of mine!"

Dispelling the opponent's sword aura, Zhang Xuan's body flickered.

Whoosh!

In a single stride, he crossed a distance of hundreds of meters, instantly appearing behind the opponent, and threw a punch.

Stars reversed, rivers flowed backward, and the fierce power pressed straight toward Ji Lingfeng's back.

Zhang Xuan's current strength, even without using the second level of the Derivation Heaven Scripture, was comparable to the Half-Step Domain Realm. Coupled with the Heavenly Dao Fist Technique, even Yue Yiquan would find it hard to withstand, let alone the opponent.

"Damn it..."

Not expecting that after taking the elixir and unleashing his full power, the opponent could still block and even counterattack, Ji Lingfeng's face twisted in fury. He reversed his longsword and thrust it from under his armpit.

"Such fast reaction speed..."

Zhang Xuan was startled.

He had thought that with the opponent's enhanced strength, he would have lost his reason and could be easily slain. Unexpectedly, his combat reaction speed was truly fast.

As expected of someone who had fought in underground boxing matches—even when on the defensive, he could find opportunities to turn the tide.

Just like now, if his fist continued forward, he might not even injure the opponent before being pierced through by the longsword.

"I've been through a hundred battles too; let's see who's the better one!"

The fighting spirit in Zhang Xuan's heart was instantly ignited.

All along, when fighting others, he would finish them in one move, spot the flaw, and crush them easily. He had rarely experienced a life-or-death battle.

Now, with the opponent reacting so quickly and being of similar strength, his competitive nature was immediately aroused.

He turned his fist into a palm and gently tapped forward.

Originally, the longsword would surely have struck, but with this change in move, his palm immediately pressed against the blade and continued forward.

Bang!

His fingertip struck the opponent's back. Ji Lingfeng felt his entire body shake, countless meridians shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "wa!"

Borrowing the force, he lunged forward, dissipating most of the impact, and hurriedly turned around. Just as he was about to counterattack, he felt a chill run down his spine—his speed was fast, but that Zhang Xuan was even faster.

He stuck to Ji Lingfeng's back like a plaster, and no matter how he turned, he couldn't shake him off!

"Such a bizarre movement technique..."

Ji Lingfeng kept thrusting his longsword backward rapidly, forming a protective circle, unable to hide his shock.

As Zhang Xuan had guessed, he had concealed his identity and participated in many life-or-death battles in the black market, even earning the title of Hundred-Crown King... His combat power was astonishing!

At the same level, even a War Master might not be his match.

Yet this person before him, with cultivation so much lower than his, and most crucially, even after taking the Mad Demon Strength-Breaking Pill, was still being beaten and spitting blood...

Wasn't he too strong!

"It's not easy for me to kill you, but it's not that simple for you to kill me either..."

A glint flashed in his eyes. Ji Lingfeng used his true energy to control the longsword, thrusting rapidly behind him, while his left hand formed a hand seal and gently tapped.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Hundreds of cold gleams shot out from behind him, like a torrential rain.

Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles!

To remain undefeated on the life-or-death arena, one needed not only strong combat power and ferocity but, more importantly, a variety of killing techniques that came one after another.

This Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle was his trump card. Each fine needle was forged from special materials, capable of easily piercing the skin of a Half-Step Nascent Soul realm expert, and was laced with deadly poison—once touched, death was instantaneous!

Countless experts had fallen to this move.

Clatter!

After releasing the hidden weapons, his body rushed forward rapidly, finally breaking free from the pursuit. He turned around and looked at the young man not far away, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He saw that the light around the other's body flickered again, and countless fine needles had already fallen into his palm. He seemed quite curious, playing with them one by one.

"You're asking for death..."

Seeing his move, Ji Lingfeng clenched his fists, excited and brimming with agitation.

The deadly poison on the fine needles was concocted by a七星 peak poison master he had sought out; without needing to pierce the body, mere contact with the skin would cause death by poisoning!

The other party actually toyed with them... he was simply tired of living!

Just as he was certain the other would be poisoned and collapse at any moment, he saw the young man across from him look over and shake his head in disappointment.

"This poison is too low-grade in its refinement. You've probably been cheated. It can scare people, but it's utterly incapable of poisoning anyone to death!"

After speaking, he deliberately pinched the tip of a needle.

"You know there's poison on it?" Ji Lingfeng's pupils contracted.

The deadly poison refined by a七星 poison master was colorless and odorless; ordinary people couldn't detect it at all. The other had only picked up a fine needle and discovered it... How did he see it?

"Such an obvious poison—if I couldn't see it, I wouldn't deserve to live..."

With a sigh, he flicked his wrist, and the countless fine needles he had caught shot forward like a rainstorm.

Though he had never specifically trained in暗器 techniques, the War Master Hall had taught him many martial skills; releasing a few fine needles was extremely simple.

Wuwuwu!

Empowered by his strength, the needles moved with lightning speed, reaching Ji Lingfeng in the blink of an eye.

Knowing they were poisoned, he dared not meet them head-on. He flicked his longsword, tracing an arc before him.

Ding ding dang dang!

As expected of the underground market master of the Qianchong Empire, his swordsmanship was profound, having at least reached the realm of Upper Sword Heart. Sword light flashed, and all the countless needles were blocked, falling to the ground.

"Trying to harm me with my own暗器? Dream on..."

Having scattered the needles, Ji Lingfeng snorted coldly. Before he could finish his words, he felt a blur before his eyes as Zhang Xuan appeared in front of him and slapped him across the face.

While releasing the暗器, he had followed closely behind and closed in again.

"You..." His face ashen, he flicked his longsword to counterattack, but it was too late.

Slap!

A searing pain shot through his face, and he was sent flying backward. A sweet taste rose in his throat; he spat out a mouthful of blood, and teeth scattered all over the ground.

The other's slap had used all his strength. If not for the pill he had taken earlier, which had boosted his cultivation, his head would have exploded.

Even so, he still felt dizzy, on the verge of fainting at any moment.

"Damn it..."

Trembling all over, Ji Lingfeng was beside himself with rage.

Having lived for several hundred years, he had suffered two consecutive defeats, both at the hands of the same person. The intense humiliation made him feel like he was about to explode.

"I'll kill you..."

Roaring repeatedly, his internal true energy seethed, and he was about to charge forward. But before he could move, he saw the young man across from him reveal a playful smile.

"I advise you not to move now, not to circulate your true energy... Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll die even faster."

"What do you mean?" Seeing the other's confidence, Ji Lingfeng narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing much... When I slapped you just now, I conveniently stuck two needles into your face..."

Zhang Xuan's expression was utterly calm.

"Needles?" His body stiffened, and Ji Lingfeng only then noticed that two fine needles had somehow appeared on his face. Because the slap had been so fierce, he hadn't detected them.

"Antidote..."

Pulling out the fine needles, he quickly flipped his wrist, produced a pill, and swallowed it.

He had personally witnessed the potency of the fine needles' deadly poison: even a peak Out-of-Body expert would die within three breaths. Though he had taken a pill and greatly increased his strength, he wouldn't last more than ten seconds against such poison.

"Taking the antidote now can save you from death, but if I'm not mistaken, the poison's assault will cause temporary paralysis. Even at your peak, you were no match for me. In this state, how can you withstand..."

With a light laugh, Zhang Xuan walked over slowly, raised his palm, and pressed down gently.

Crack!

A tremendous force descended. Ji Lingfeng felt all the bones in his body shatter in an instant, and he fell flat on the ground.

The other was right: even at his peak, he was no match, and now, poisoned, how could he possibly resist?

"Do you have any other trump cards? Bring them out! If this is all you've got, isn't it a bit laughable to think you can kill me?"

Pinned to the ground and unable to move, Zhang Xuan looked at him leisurely.

They had already fought in the underground market, and the other knew he had over a hundred puppets and a long blade. Yet he still dared to ambush him and boast of killing him... If he relied only on a single pill and a longsword, his heart was far too bold.

"As expected of a renowned master, truly clever... But clever people always die young!"

Spitting out blood again, Ji Lingfeng's face regained its ferocity. He flicked his wrist, and the longsword shot through the air, plunging straight into a nearby river.

"The sword is yours; it's your turn to act..."

Following his shout, Zhang Xuan saw the river surface before him begin to boil.

A tremendous force surged upward, like a sharp sword emerging from the depths. Then, an old man slowly rose from the churning water, stepping into the air.

He walked step by step into the sky, like a celestial being.

"No wonder Ji Lingfeng wants to kill you. You are indeed extraordinary."

With a light laugh, the old man's gaze turned cold: "But meeting me, you can die..."

Splash!

As he finished speaking, he joined his fingers to form a sword, and a sword beam howled downward.