Chapter 173: Soul Formation Self-Destruction, Return to Tianyi City

Looking at Nie Yuanzheng’s actions, Qin Xiao understood what was happening.

“Self-destruction? Fine, but I need to weaken it first. Otherwise I might not withstand it.”

Lately, quite a few people had been shouting about Self-Destruction, and Qin Xiao was starting to grow somewhat immune to it.

Without delay, Qin Xiao moved swiftly, first crippling Nie Yuanzheng’s limbs. With his limbs shattered and his Meridians damaged, the destructive power should drop by a notch.

Qin Xiao did not stop there. He punched Nie Yuanzheng’s Dantian too. The impact would disperse much of his Spiritual Qi and further weaken the explosion.

“This should be about enough.”

Qin Xiao had no intention of stopping Nie Yuanzheng’s Self-Destruction. Fang Xiuxian’s Self-Destruction had caused him no harm whatsoever, save for a shockwave that pushed him back a few steps. Therefore, he intended to take this weakened Soul Formation Self-Destruction head-on. Only through this could he truly test the limits of his physical body.

He had crippled Nie Yuanzheng’s limbs and damaged his Meridians, then punched his Dantian. Nie Yuanzheng could no longer mobilize all his Spiritual Qi. Qin Xiao should be able to withstand this weakened explosion.

“Brat, even if it comes to this, you’re coming down with me!”

Nie Yuanzheng had completely lost his mind. By choosing Self-Destruction, even his Primordial Spirit would detonate alongside it. What did it matter if his Spiritual Qi was suppressed? When a Primordial Spirit self-destructed, no matter how strong a body someone possessed, their Soul Power would still suffer devastating damage-leading to dementia at best, or death at worst.

With that, a deafening roar tore through the valley.

The others had already retreated far away upon Elder Zeng’s warning, leaving Qin Xiao to bear the full brunt of the detonation alone.

After the explosion, the vegetation around the valley was gone, and even their previous camp had vanished. Only a huge, deep crater remained in the valley.

“Damn, that blast really packs a punch. It actually rattled my head and made me a bit dizzy.”

Qin Xiao stood bare in the center of the pit, completely devoid of clothing.

In truth, the dizziness hadn’t come from the physical blast, but from the Soul Power shockwave unleashed by Nie Yuanzheng’s Primordial Spirit detonation.

Yet Nie Yuanzheng would never have guessed in his wildest dreams that Qin Xiao’s Soul Power was actually his most formidable asset. After all, Qin Xiao had been consuming Saint Origin Spirit Fruits as if they were ordinary snacks.

“Damn it, my clothes got blown to pieces.”

Coming to his senses, Qin Xiao hurriedly took out a set of clothes and put them on.

As he dressed, he looked around. I didn’t expose myself, did I? The source of this chapter is novelping . com.

Fortunately, the blast had been so powerful that everyone was far away. They had seen Qin Xiao’s backside, but not very clearly, since he had immediately put on fresh clothes.

Looking down at Qin Xiao, who stood completely unscathed amidst the aftermath, the gathered crowd was struck dumb. This was a Soul Formation Self-Destruction!

“To think this kid could actually survive a Soul Formation Self-Destruction! Could it be, just as Nie Yuanzheng claimed, that Qin Xiao was possessed by some ancient expert within the secret realm?”

Elder Zeng could withstand Nie Yuanzheng’s self-destruction too, but he was at mid-stage Body Integration. What cultivation did Qin Xiao have? His body might be far stronger than an ordinary cultivator’s because of Body Refinement, but before entering the secret realm he had only been comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

“Forget it. Whether he was possessed by an ancient powerhouse or is simply a freak of nature, it’s best not to cross this person.”

Ling Wujun changed his mind entirely. Qin Xiao was simply too monstrous; making an enemy of him was foolish.

“Is he even human? He took a Self-Destruction like that and didn’t die?”

Lu Feng stood frozen. He had looked down on Qin Xiao previously, assuming that even if he joined the Mysterious Yin Sect, he could never surpass him as the Holy Son. Now, such thoughts had vanished completely.

“I thought Brother Qin’s lack of fear of Soul Formation cultivators was astonishing enough. I never expected him to withstand even their self-destruction. To think the gap between us is this wide! Once I return, I’m going into seclusion. I won’t come out until I reach Soul Formation.”

Gong Yuankui marveled at the result, but refused to admit defeat. He resolved to go into seclusion again once he returned to his sect, and stay there until he reached Soul Formation.

“I only hope Qin Xiao doesn’t hold a grudge against the Tianyuan Sect.”

Wan Rongyang shook his head helplessly at the result. Everyone had underestimated Qin Xiao.

“What on earth has Qin Xiao been eating? He used to be our peer, and now he’s left us far behind.”

Chu Sheng discarded any lingering resentment. He no longer felt any animosity toward Qin Xiao, knowing full well that someone of Qin Xiao’s stature wouldn’t even deign to notice a cultivator of his level.

“Immortal Sword Peak might not be safe for me anymore. Sooner or later, Qin Xiao will come back to settle accounts.”

Liu Xueyue, the Holy Maiden of Immortal Sword Peak, was reconsidering her position too.

Seeing that Qin Xiao had survived, every faction reevaluated their stance, quietly making plans for the future.

The others did not return to the valley. After seeing the result, they left with their own people; news like this had to reach their sects quickly.

Of the five disciples, only Yun Man stayed. The others were taken back by the elders leading their groups. Qin Xiao’s two bodyguards, Zhang Zuo and Li You, also stayed. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.

To Qin Xiao’s surprise, Ling Ruoxue had come back too.

“Qin Xiao, surviving a Soul Formation Self-Destruction is truly remarkable. By the way, you’ve got quite a pale backside.”

Ling Ruoxue marveled at Qin Xiao’s fearsome strength, but still remembered to tease him.

“You’re a woman-why are you staring at another man’s backside? Aren’t you afraid of getting a stye on your eyes?”

Qin Xiao was utterly speechless. Have you no shame? Whether my skin is pale or not has nothing to do with you!

“Boss, letting you face the enemy’s Self-Destruction all by yourself was a dereliction of duty on our part. Now that your strength has grown by leaps and bounds, we’d understand if you no longer required our protection.”

Zhang Zuo had been proud of being a mid-stage Soul Formation cultivator. He would never have lowered himself to work as a bodyguard if not for the Spirit Stones. Now it seemed his strength wasn’t enough: he could no longer keep up with his boss.

“Hey, Big Brother, what are you saying? The boss didn’t hire us just for our cultivation. He has minor matters he doesn’t want to handle himself. That’s what he hired us for. With his strength, why else would he need bodyguards?”

Li You hurried to add this when he saw how blunt his brother was.

Big Brother, are you confused? The boss hasn’t even said anything, and you’re volunteering that he doesn’t need us!

That was why Li You had added his explanation. He meant that even if their strength was modest, they could still do things for Qin Xiao; he would have use for them. Besides, they were no weaklings. Both brothers were at mid-stage Soul Formation and not far from the late stage. With enough resources, they would be genuine late-stage Soul Formation cultivators.

“Relax, you two did fine. I wanted to test that Self-Destruction out of my own curiosity, so it had nothing to do with your performance. You didn’t slack off, and I’m quite satisfied. Here is your pay for the last month.”

Qin Xiao took out two Storage Bags, each holding one hundred thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones and ten drops of Spirit Liquid.

The Spirit Stones were their standard wages, while the Spirit Liquid served as a bonus. Since he was no longer short on Spirit Liquid, throwing out a few perks was an effective way to secure their loyalty.

“Boss, what is this?” Zhang Zuo asked, puzzled by the Spirit Liquid.

“The Spirit Stones are your salary, and the Spirit Liquid is a reward for guarding this place over the past month. Work diligently, and there will be plenty more rewards to come.”

Qin Xiao’s meaning was crystal clear: performance brought bonuses on top of base pay.

“Thank you, Boss! We swear to protect you with our lives!”

The two brothers hurried to declare their loyalty.

With no further business in the area, the group prepared to depart. Zhang Zuo summoned his sword for flight, carrying the party out of Spirit Medicine Valley and straight toward Tianyi City.

News of Qin Xiao’s battle quickly spread across Qingzhou. Surviving a Soul Formation cultivator’s self-destruction was enough to put him above every genius of his age.

When Chen Shunyi learned that two of his disciples had died in succession, he flew into a rage. He contacted every friend he could reach. He wanted revenge.