Chapter 27: Slaying a Heavenly Realm Expert

Bai Qing felt so frustrated he wanted to spit blood. Why hadn't he just let that little brat go when he had the chance?

The oncoming sword gave Bai Qing no time for regret. He could only grit his teeth and pour everything he had into resisting Ziyu's sword intent once more.

The same stance used twice in quick succession — it was nearly impossible to muster full power a second time. Bai Qing simply could not draw enough True Qi to withstand this strike from Ziyu.

And this time, Ziyu was attacking with full force, amplified by the rotational momentum she carried.

Force layered upon force. Momentum built upon momentum.

Ziyu surged forward with overwhelming ferocity while Bai Qing had barely gathered his strength. The outcome was decided before the blow even landed.

Clang! The two weapons collided, and Bai Qing let out a muffled grunt, staggering back three full steps.

In that moment, Ziyu had completely forgotten she was still afflicted by a strange poison. She was utterly consumed by shock.

Under that young man's direction, she had used three moves.

The first move — catching Bai Qing off guard by exposing his opening, reversing the disadvantage of pure defense.

The second move — stabilizing the situation and achieving complete suppression.

The third move — simple and direct, yet far more ruthless, sending Bai Qing flying back in a single blow.

Even at her peak, achieving such results in three moves would have been extraordinarily difficult. Was this young man truly nothing more than a clan scion from a small place like Yun City?

To decide a battle in three moves required incomparably sharp perception, incomparably precise judgment, and an incomparably formidable composure.

"Hey, you idiot girl, what are you standing there for? Get up there and cut off his head!" Seeing Ziyu frozen in place, Tang Yan stomped his foot in agitation.

Hearing Tang Yan's shout, Ziyu snapped out of her daze and swiftly swung her sword forward.

Yet even that brief pause was enough for Bai Qing to ready his defenses, and he barely managed to dodge the strike.

"Holy shit, how did someone with your combat experience ever reach the Heavenly Realm? Have you never heard of pressing your advantage?" Tang Yan pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

Even so, Bai Qing was already wounded and his strength had slipped further. With two more rounds of Tang Yan's direction, Bai Qing was sent flying by Ziyu once again.

Facing that monstrously gifted young man, Bai Qing had long abandoned any thought of winning. All he wanted now was to seize an opportunity and flee.

But this time, as Bai Qing registered the direction he was being sent flying — straight toward that infuriating brat — his brow suddenly arched upward.

That little bastard ruined everything for me. Today, I'll kill you.

Murderous intent boiled in Bai Qing's eyes.

Tang Yan had naturally spotted Bai Qing, and the moment he saw the direction Bai Qing was flying, he had already anticipated that Bai Qing would come crashing toward him.

Tang Yan wasn't sure how strong a Heavenly Realm expert's defenses were, but he knew the Heaven and Earth Creation Fire within him could burn through anything.

Ignoring Bai Qing's cold, murderous gaze, he sent the True Qi in his cultivation core surging wildly, rapidly channeling it into his palm. A wisp of dark blue flame leapt out with a pop and shot straight for Bai Qing's throat.

There wasn't even half a scream. A gaping hole appeared in Bai Qing's neck in an instant, and his breath ceased entirely.

Those resentful, unwilling eyes of Bai Qing's — they would likely never be closed in peace.

When Ziyu saw Bai Qing flying toward Tang Yan, she inwardly cried out in alarm and rushed to intervene. But by the time she reached Tang Yan's side, Bai Qing was already dead.

"You killed him?" Ziyu stared at Tang Yan in shock.

"He was trying to kill me. I accidentally killed him first." Tang Yan blinked with an expression of pure innocence.

Seeing how utterly nonchalant Tang Yan was after taking a life, Ziyu felt her astonishment toward this young man deepen even further.

The first time she had met him, he had been sniffing around her and declaring he wanted to take her home as his wife.

She had assumed he was just some lecherous scoundrel — she had nearly cut him down on the spot. Who could have known that this fellow was such a monstrously gifted genius?

A pity his cultivation was a bit weak. The aura he had displayed just now seemed like it hadn't even reached the Yellow Realm. So how had he managed to kill Bai Qing?

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Ziyu glanced at Bai Qing lying on the ground and noticed that nearly half his throat was missing. A chill ran through her. "How exactly did you kill him?"

"That protective trinket of yours just wasn't cutting it. If you'd run him through with your sword sooner, I wouldn't have had to waste my precious treasure. Do you have any idea how expensive that was?" Tang Yan rubbed his neck with an exaggerated look of grief, as though the precious item had been hanging right there around his neck.

Ziyu suddenly understood. So he had a one-use protective artifact. No wonder it could break through a Heavenly Realm expert's defenses.

"Now that the artifact's gone, let's see if this fellow has anything worthwhile on him — at least enough to compensate for my loss." Saying this, Tang Yan began rummaging through Bai Qing's belongings.

And rummage he did — there were quite a few good things. Besides several stacks of silver notes, there were even two third-grade pills. Tang Yan wasn't particularly interested in pills for himself, but these happened to be Vitality Enhancement Pills that boosted one's cultivation — perfect for his grandfather to take.

After pocketing Bai Qing's sword as well, Tang Yan dusted off his hands and stood up, muttering, "What a pauper. Is this really all he had?"

Ziyu stared at the fellow before her. Just moments ago, when he had been directing her in battle, he had been spirited and elegant. How had he changed so completely in the span of ten minutes?

Wait — when this fellow had told her to swing her sword earlier, what had he called her? Idiot girl?

She was the Third Young Miss of Zizhu City, cherished and adored by thousands. When had anyone ever dared call her an idiot girl?

"Hey, brat — what did you just call me?" Ziyu widened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Tang Yan.

"Me? I called you Miss Zi." Tang Yan blinked and blinked again, the picture of innocence.

"Was there anything else? Two characters. Have you forgotten?" Ziyu pressed.

"Nope, I didn't call you anything else." Tang Yan added silently to himself: That was me insulting you, not calling you.

"You called someone an idiot girl earlier — urk!" Just as Ziyu was about to lose her temper, she suddenly felt a scorching heat flare in her cultivation core. Her True Qi refused to gather, and her vision began to blur. Looking at Tang Yan's figure, she saw it split into wavering doubles.

After three days of suppression, she could no longer hold back the Fire Evil Toxin. What she hadn't anticipated was just how overwhelming the toxin's effects would be once she lost control of it.

In that moment, looking at Tang Yan, she felt a sensation entirely beyond her control…

Using the last thread of her clarity, Ziyu leaned close to Tang Yan's ear and pleaded, "Kill me. Then send my body back to Zizhu City. Do not violate me — if I wake up, I will never forgive you."

With those final words spoken, Ziyu could hold back no longer and threw herself at Tang Yan like an octopus.

Enveloped in a wave of delicate fragrance, Tang Yan's heart stirred. Feeling the increasingly feverish warmth of the beautiful woman against him, he let out a silent lament — and brought his palm down, knocking Ziyu unconscious.

Feeling Ziyu's body growing hotter by the moment, Tang Yan knew that if she wasn't treated soon, it would inevitably damage her future cultivation — or even cause her body to explode from the buildup of energy.

"What a hassle!" Suppressing the impulse rising in his chest, he scooped her up and sprinted toward the city.

When Ziyu awoke, she found herself lying on a bed. She looked around — the room was modest in size but elegantly furnished with high-quality pieces. This was no ordinary household.

She tried to circulate a breath of True Qi, but her cultivation core was completely empty.

She looked down at herself — she was still dressed. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she suddenly realized these were not her original clothes. Her heart lurched with a start.