C37 Heavily Injured at the Void Refining Stage!

"Bring it on!" Qin Buyi bellowed.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

The Killing Saber thrummed with tens of thousands of vibrations per second, lunging towards the nearest Immortal Extermination Sword.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

Sparks scattered wildly as the Killing Saber clashed with the Immortal Extermination Sword.

"Break through!"

Qin Buyi's voice roared as he channeled all his might into the Killing Saber.

"Crash!"

The Immortal Extermination Sword quivered and narrowly missed Qin Buyi's ear.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Extermination!"

A moon, spanning thousands of meters in diameter, reappeared, enveloping the remaining Immortal Sword, Immortal Slaying Sword, and Immortal Slaughter Sword within its glow.

Within the moon, countless phantoms of the Killing Saber materialized, their tips aimed directly at the three Flying Swords.

"Slash!" commanded Qin Buyi.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

The phantoms of the Killing Saber sliced through the air, creating a whistling wind as they bore down on the three Flying Swords.

"Hmph! Such insignificant skills dare to be so presumptuous," Martial Marquis sneered with contempt.

His Divine Consciousness took control of the Immortal Execution Sword, which Qin Buyi's attack had knocked off course.

"Today, you'll witness the true might of the Immortal Killing Sword Array!" Martial Marquis declared with a hint of impatience.

His Divine Consciousness sensed other Void Refining Stage warriors drawing near; any further delay would surely lead to their discovery.

Resolved to go all out, Martial Marquis was determined to defeat Qin Buyi with this strike.

He maneuvered the Immortal Extermination Sword to swiftly converge with the Immortal Slaying Sword, Immortal Slaying Swords, and Immortal Slaughter Swords.

"Immortal Killing Sword Array: Annihilate!"

The four Flying Swords fused at breakneck speed, transforming into a single, more formidable sword.

"Cut him down!" Martial Marquis ordered, pointing at Qin Buyi.

"Whoosh!"

The newly combined Immortal Killing Sword Array surged in power, emanating a palpable sense of danger.

"I can't match its power!" Qin Buyi's eyes narrowed as he realized the futility of a direct confrontation.

Gripping the Killing Saber, he rocketed away into the distance at top speed.

"Humph! Think you can escape? Impossible."

Martial Marquis exuded confidence in his Immortal Killing Sword Array as he bellowed, "Immortal Killing Sword Array, advance swiftly!"

The Sword Array that had been relentlessly pursuing Qin Buyi suddenly picked up speed, multiplying its velocity several-fold. Realizing he was targeted by the Sword Array, Qin Buyi ceased his rapid flight.

"You've brought this upon yourself, Martial Marquis," Qin Buyi declared, his voice icy.

"To think a mere mid-stage Deification would be so bold. You truly don't know your place," Martial Marquis sneered.

"Immortal Killing Sword Array: Exterminate!"

With Martial Marquis's thunderous cry, the Sword Array before Qin Buyi, now a singular flying sword, surged forward, radiating streaks of crimson.

"Whoosh!"

The Immortal Killing Sword Array hurtled towards Qin Buyi at breakneck speed.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Soul Dispersing!"

The Killing Saber in Qin Buyi's grasp began to fade, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Yet, it reemerged within the confines of his mind.

As the Killing Saber materialized, Qin Buyi's early-stage Void Refining Divine Consciousness latched onto it like soldiers rallying to a general. His Divine Consciousness flooded into the saber, infusing it with power.

The Killing Saber underwent a dramatic transformation; a potent, tyrannical aura of slaughter emanated from within, turning the blade a resplendent gold.

"Slash!" Qin Buyi roared.

The now palm-sized Killing Saber instantly materialized before him. In a flash, it disappeared, only to reappear before Martial Marquis, launching a Divine Consciousness assault on his mind.

"How... How can this be? A Divine Consciousness attack! Even the Woo family doesn't possess such a technique!"

"How does he wield the power of a Void Refining Stage Divine Consciousness? This... This is inconceivable..."

Martial Marquis gaped at the Soul Dispersing technique, his voice tinged with disbelief.

With no way to dodge, Martial Marquis gritted his teeth and poured his own Divine Consciousness into the Immortal Killing Sword Array, directing it in a ferocious counterattack against Qin Buyi.

The crimson Immortal Killing Sword Array and the gleaming golden Killing Saber launched their attacks at each other almost in unison.

Without the Killing Saber in hand, Qin Buyi eyed the advancing Immortal Killing Sword Array and made a swift retreat.

"Chi!"

A blood-red flying sword, conjured by the Immortal Killing Sword Array, skimmed a mere centimeter from Qin Buyi's heart as it pierced through his body.

"Pfft!"

Qin Buyi coughed up a copious amount of blood, flecked with fragments of his internal organs.

Despite his grievous wounds, Qin Buyi managed to stem the flow of blood from the gaping wound on his chest and turned his full attention to Martial Marquis.

"Whoosh!"

The palm-sized Killing Saber before Martial Marquis's eyes faded and vanished once more.

The next instant, it materialized within Martial Marquis's brain.

"Chi!"

Inside Martial Marquis's mind, the Killing Saber lunged at his Divine Consciousness.

"Boom!" A thunderous noise erupted within Martial Marquis's head.

The Killing Saber mercilessly cleaved through Martial Marquis's Divine Consciousness.

"Boom!"

"Boom..."

The Killing Saber wreaked havoc within Martial Marquis's mind, relentlessly assaulting his Divine Consciousness.

"Crack!"

After an unrelenting barrage of slashes, Martial Marquis's Divine Consciousness emitted a sound akin to the cracking of an eggshell.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

The sound of shattering eggshells echoed continuously as Martial Marquis's Divine Consciousness was torn asunder.

"Bam!"

After withstanding several strikes from the Killing Saber, Martial Marquis's Divine Consciousness buckled under the strain.

Explosions reverberated through his brain.

"Ah!"

With his Divine Consciousness severely compromised, Martial Marquis's agonized screams carried for hundreds of miles.

Upon hearing the scream, three Void Refining Stage experts who were in flight towards Martial Marquis hastened their pace, rushing towards the scene of Qin Buyi and Martial Marquis.

"Judging by that scream, it must be Martial Marquis from the Kunlun Secret Realm," remarked a striking woman with an air of aloofness.

"Yinyue, Martial Marquis has grown increasingly insolent over the years, even managing to offend you. His demise would be a welcome relief," a young man commented obsequiously to the woman with the detached demeanor.

Before Yinyue could respond, a disdainful snort sounded from beside the young man.

"Humph! Lan Wenhao, don't revel in others' misfortunes so blatantly."

Lan Wenhao turned to face the speaker, his tone less than friendly.

"Zhang Yuan, when did it become your place to butt in on my conversation with a fellow Daoist from the Water Moon Secret Realm?"

Zhang Yuan replied with biting sarcasm, "You're pretending to talk, but really you're just a toad lusting after swan meat, oblivious to your own worth."

"Even if I am that toad, I'm still better than a hypocrite like you. It's common knowledge that the Kunlun Secret Realm's inhabitants are nothing but sanctimonious, which is frankly nauseating." Lan Wenhao retorted with a sneer.

"You!" Zhang Yuan's gaze bore a hint of murderous intent as he stared at Lan Wenhao.

"Oh? You disagree? How about we settle this right here, right now? And if you happen to die in the process, don't hold it against me!" Lan Wenhao taunted.

"Enough bickering. Whoever was capable of seriously wounding Martial Marquis is no ordinary foe. Instead of squabbling, we'd be better off figuring out who we're dealing with," Yinyue interjected, her voice tinged with frost. She had only just emerged from the Water Moon Secret Realm and unexpectedly ran into Lan Wenhao and Zhang Yuan.

The pair clung to her like burrs, impossible to shake off.

"Humph!"

"Humph!"

Exchanging glares, Lan Wenhao and Zhang Yuan each let out a cold snort.

"This presence is very strange, as if it appeared out of thin air," Lan Wenhao observed.

Zhang Yuan, calm and collected, added, "Judging by the aura, the person's cultivation level is at the Deification Stage, yet their Divine Consciousness suggests the strength of the Void Refining Stage."

"Could it be a master of Void Refining Perfection starting anew?" Yinyue pondered aloud, her voice laced with doubt.

"We'll find out soon enough," Lan Wenhao replied.

Together, the trio flew swiftly toward the site where Qin Buyi and Martial Marquis were standing.

It was odd to see Lan Wenhao and Yinyue leading the way, while Zhang Yuan ambled behind them as if he were out for a leisurely walk.

"Ah Yue, I told you, didn't I? The folks from the Kunlun Secret Realm are nothing but sanctimonious pretenders, not even flinching when one of their own is hurt," Lan Wenhao said with a sneer as he glanced back at Zhang Yuan, addressing Yinyue.

"You! Lan Wenhao, mark my words, if I get the chance, I'm going to rip that foul mouth of yours right off!" Zhang Yuan spat back, his voice tinged with anger.

The three major forces of the Kunlun Secret Realm were represented by the three at the pinnacle of the Void Refining Stage, and lately, the Woo family had been riding high.

Zhang Yuan would be thrilled to use an outsider's help to chip away at the Woo family's power. He was secretly hoping for the demise of Martial Marquis, as it would deal a significant blow to the family's standing.

Yinyue's brow furrowed slightly when she heard Lan Wenhao call her Ah Yue. "Dao Friend Lan, I'd appreciate it if you watched your language," she said with a hint of irritation.

Their attention turned to the scene before them. Martial Marquis was below, pounding his head in a frenzy. Qin Buyi, who had sheathed his Killing Saber, was staring them down with a murderous glare.

"Ah! My head is killing me!"

"Don't—don't come any closer. I—I don't want this."

"Haha, I am the mightiest in the Kunlun Secret Realm. All is mine."

The trio watched Martial Marquis, a man at the Void Refining Stage, spouting madness, and a shiver of dread ran down their spines.

Qin Buyi eyed the newcomers warily. He was gravely wounded, and if they had any malevolent intentions, he would be in peril.

Lan Wenhao's gaze fell upon Qin Buyi, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face as he remembered the intelligence Lan Tianhe had recently shared with the family. Contemplating a significant development within the Lan family, Lan Wenhao felt a twinge of a headache. The Lan family was in dire need of a powerful ally.

"It's astonishing that he could inflict such severe injuries on a Void Refining practitioner in such a short time. Terrifying, indeed! But this also proves that he has what it takes to merit the Lan family's investment," Lan Wenhao mused internally.

Zhang Yuan gazed down at the Martial Marquis and realized the extent of the severe Divine Consciousness injury the man had sustained.

As his eyes shifted to Qin Buyi, a flurry of realizations clicked into place in his mind.

The Zhang family's spies, who had been keeping tabs on the Martial Marquis, reported that he had been searching for something lately. No doubt, it was this cultivator at the Deification Middle Period.

"A Deification Middle Period cultivator capable of inflicting such damage on the Martial Marquis? This must be a rare Divine Consciousness attack. I need to have it," Zhang Yuan mused, his gaze on Qin Buyi betraying his avarice.

With that thought, Zhang Yuan, who had been trailing the trio, instantly moved to the forefront and soared toward Qin Buyi.

"Clang!"

In mid-flight, Zhang Yuan saw a flying sword whiz past and turned to Lan Wenhao with a scowl, "What's the meaning of this?"

Lan Wenhao scratched his head, offering an apologetic grin, "My apologies, truly. That was my mistake."

"Humph!"

Zhang Yuan let out a disdainful snort and pressed on toward Qin Buyi.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, Lan Wenhao sped up from behind and rammed into Zhang Yuan, sending him reeling through the air.

Before Zhang Yuan could utter a word, Lan Wenhao quipped, "Terribly sorry, something's off today—I just can't seem to rein in my spiritual energy. No hard feelings, I hope!"

Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Yuan faced the obstructing Lan Wenhao and snapped, "You expect me to buy that? You, at the Void Refining Early Period, can't control your spiritual energy? Do I look like a fool to you?"

Dropping the apologetic act, Lan Wenhao feigned surprise, "Oh? You've seen through my ruse. Seems you're not as gullible as I thought!"

"You're asking for it!" Zhang Yuan unleashed the Flying Sword within him and lunged at Lan Wenhao.

Yinyue watched the skirmish between the two with a curious eye, puzzled by Lan Wenhao's intentions in stopping Zhang Yuan.

Meanwhile, Qin Buyi, observing the brawl and the bystander enjoying the spectacle, gripped the Killing Saber and made a swift beeline for the Martial Marquis.

In the nick of time, as the Killing Saber was about to strike, the previously frenzied Martial Marquis snapped back to clarity, dodged Qin Buyi's blow, and fled into the distance.