Chapter 84: A Soul Formation Strike, A Brush with Death

As the Tian Family Ancestor attacked, Yun Man stepped in front of Qin Xiao without hesitation and activated her protective treasure.

Seeing that Yun Man actually possessed such a Protective Dharma Treasure, the Tian Family Ancestor no longer held back.

Previously, he had been worried that seriously injuring Yun Man would be difficult to explain to the City Lord, but now it mattered little. However, his true target was not Yun Man. Although she had such a treasure for defense, how could she possibly block him?

With a single palm strike, he batted Yun Man away from Qin Xiao’s front. The Tian Family Ancestor did not stop, lunging directly at Qin Xiao behind her. Once Qin Xiao was dead and the three women were captured, the Tian Family would rise to prominence.

Everything happened too quickly. Qin Xiao had not expected Yun Man to shield him without a second thought. By the time he wanted to act, it was already too late; Yun Man had been sent flying. Fortunately, her protective treasure kept her from injury.

She had bought Qin Xiao a little time. He could not hope to dodge a Soul Formation cultivator’s attack completely, only to keep it from hitting a vital spot.

The Tian Family Ancestor used no weapon. Ye Tianyi was already wounded, and one palm strike was enough to kill a boy. If he had not needed to knock Yun Man aside, he could have killed Qin Xiao without even getting close.

Seeing the incoming palm aimed straight for his chest, Qin Xiao twisted sideways in a desperate attempt to dodge.

Qin Xiao had no experience fighting a Soul Formation cultivator. To the Tian Family Ancestor, this was only a dying struggle. He quickly changed his attack and still struck Qin Xiao in the chest.

Unable to escape the lethal blow, Qin Xiao was sent flying dozens of meters away, his fate unknown.

Just as the Tian Family Ancestor was about to celebrate finishing his task, he felt a chill at his back. A sword pierced his chest.

“This is impossible! I severely damaged your Primordial Spirit-how can you still strike?”

Staring down at the tip of the sword protruding from his chest, the Tian Family Ancestor found it impossible to believe.

“Nothing is impossible.”

Ye Tianyi did not hesitate. She turned the blade and slashed sideways, cutting through one side of the Tian Family Ancestor’s torso.

“I’ve cultivated for many years. My Primordial Spirit must be stronger than yours. Even I suffered backlash. How did you recover?”

Even with his upper body almost cut off, someone at this cultivation stage would not die so quickly. The Tian Family Ancestor wrapped the wound in spiritual power and asked in bewilderment.

“That is something you needn’t know. Now, go die.”

Ye Tianyi pointed her sword at the Tian Family Ancestor, ready to finish him off.

“Wait! This is the Tian Family’s fault. Pavilion Master, spare me and I’ll give you all our assets as compensation. I can testify against the City Lord too. I’ve come this far in cultivation. I don’t want to die here. I’m still useful!”

The Tian Family Ancestor had dropped his grand way of referring to himself and now used a plain “I.” He finally understood his position. Without begging, he could only die.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiao was almost unconscious. The Heart-Protecting Turtle Shell had activated at the last moment and blocked part of the attack, but a great deal of its force had still hit his body.

His skin had split all over and kept seeping blood. Even his bones were cracked. He was on the brink of death, far more badly injured than when the Crimson Flame Bison had attacked him on the second floor.

“Master! Master, what’s wrong?”

Yun Man and Lin Shimeng rushed to Qin Xiao’s side. Seeing him barely alive, they cried out in alarm.

“Quick, fetch life-saving Pills! Save Master first!”

Lin Shimeng recovered her composure first. She had only panicked briefly, and she was much older, so she was the first to react. The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.

“Right, right! Life-saving pills, save him!”

Possessing a vast store of healing and life-saving pills purchased from Ling Ruoxue, Yun Man hurriedly produced a pile and began feeding them to Qin Xiao one by one.

“Enough… enough. If I swallow any more, I’ll burst apart.”

Qin Xiao had just returned from System Space. Seeing Yun Man feeding him life-saving pills, he hurried to stop her.

In truth, he had not simply fainted; he had been dragged directly into the System Space.

[Detected that the Host has suffered fatal damage. Initiate treatment?]

“Yes, heal me! Didn’t it cost ten thousand drops of Spirit Liquid last time? Use however much it takes!”

Qin Xiao shouted. Now he finally understood why the presence of a Soul Formation cultivator was the measure of a faction’s strength. Even large numbers of Nascent Soul cultivators were no match for one.

He could also understand why even Ling Wushuang of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association, at late Nascent Soul and equipped with Dharma Treasures, had been so easily beaten by the Soul Formation human and Demon Beast on the secret realm’s second floor.

[Confirm using all resources for treatment?]

“What? All resources?!”

Qin Xiao thought his ears were playing tricks on him. Last time it cost merely ten thousand drops of Spirit Liquid, and now it wanted everything?

[Initiate treatment?]

“Confirm treatment!”

Qin Xiao had no other choice. So what if it cost all his resources? More would be produced. Staying alive came first.

[Consuming all resources. Treatment commencing.]

Everything in Qin Xiao’s System Space was consumed. Not just his Spirit Stones, Spirit Liquid, and Saint Origin Spirit Fruit, but his stored food and the Demon Beast carcasses he had not yet processed. Nothing remained.

Only as the treatment took effect did Qin Xiao regain consciousness, immediately stopping Yun Man from forcing more pills into his mouth.

The System was already mending his body; further pills were unnecessary. With his skin cracked all over, any extra supplements would simply leak out and go to waste.

“Master, you’re awake! That’s wonderful. You scared me to death!”

Seeing him open his eyes, Yun Man threw her arms around him, unshed tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes.

The hug pulled at his wounds, and Qin Xiao hurriedly told her to stop.

“I’m sorry, I was just too excited. Senior Ye has already settled things over there. Master, focus on your recovery; I shall stand guard for you.”

At Qin Xiao’s words, Yun Man stopped hugging him. She looked toward Ye Tianyi, then spoke with relief.

Ye Tianyi had seen what was happening too. She had wanted to act sooner, but Primordial Spirit damage was difficult to repair. Even with a Saint Origin Spirit Fruit, she had needed a little time.

Once she saw that Qin Xiao’s life was no longer in danger, she carried the badly mutilated Tian Family Ancestor over to him.

“Junior Brother, how shall we deal with this person?” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.

The Tian Family Ancestor’s offer had interested Ye Tianyi, so she had not killed him yet. She came to ask Qin Xiao’s opinion.

“Young Master Qin, I was wrong! I am willing to offer any compensation you desire! I can testify that the City Lord instigated this entire plot! Our Tian Family was merely deceived-please spare me, I still have value!”

The Tian Family Ancestor was badly wounded. His upper body had almost been sliced off, and eighty to ninety percent of his meridians were broken. He could not even self-destruct and take them with him, since his Spiritual Qi could no longer circulate normally. He was barely keeping himself alive with Spiritual Qi and had no choice but to beg Qin Xiao.

“Junior Brother, what are your thoughts?”

Hesitating slightly, Ye Tianyi sought his decision.

“Kill him.”

Qin Xiao gave the order without hesitation. Whatever value the old man claimed to possess was useless to him.

What good was a witness? Was he supposed to confront Chen Lou? Leaving aside whether the man would admit anything or had more tricks ready, even with evidence the Tianyuan Sect could only retaliate against the Tian Family, not Chen Lou directly. Chen Lou was an official of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty. Other ways of dealing with him would take a long time, and Qin Xiao did not want to trouble Ling Wushuang again.

As for compensation, without its Nascent Soul cultivators and Soul Formation ancestor, the Tian Family would sooner or later be taken over by the Ye Family. The old man had no value to Qin Xiao. He had gone back on his word and fought dishonorably. Qin Xiao could not trust him.

Seeing that Qin Xiao wanted him dead, the Tian Family Ancestor hurriedly cried out. Before he could finish, his head was severed. Ye Tianyi acted swiftly and decisively, without hesitation.

“Senior Sister, there is still one more over there recovering from his injuries. I will leave him to you.”

With the ancestor dead, Qin Xiao nodded toward the Tian Family Head, who remained engrossed in meditation. To absorb the Tian Family’s assets swiftly, the head of the house might still prove useful, and Qin Xiao handed him over to Ye Tianyi.

“Don’t worry, Junior Brother. I’ll make the Tian Family pay. Once I find solid evidence against Chen Lou, I’ll report it too. You got into this trouble because of my Heavenly Clothes Pavilion. I’m so sorry.”

Ye Tianyi spoke apologetically.

“Senior Sister, just take over the Tian Family. Leave Chen Lou alone for now. Act as if this never happened, and don’t tell my Master’s Wife. You know her temper. I’ll deal with this. Later, I’ll go and find him myself.”

Qin Xiao was worried that Ye Tianyi might act rashly, and even more worried about Ye Qiuyue’s fiery temper.

“If that’s what you want, Junior Brother, I’ll listen. You’re injured. Would you like me to take you back to the Tianyuan Sect?”

Thinking of her aunt, Ye Tianyi was worried too. She agreed to Qin Xiao’s request, then asked whether he wanted her to take him back.

“No need. You rushed here, Senior Sister, and must have plenty of unfinished business. You should take over the Tian Family before anyone else reacts. The Tian Family is finished, so we should be safe. Besides, I still need some time to heal. Go back first. Once I’ve recovered, we can return on our own.”

Qin Xiao declined her escort. He thought Chen Lou must have done all he could to persuade the Tian Family. He was only the City Lord of a medium-sized city, with few bargaining chips to offer. Getting one family to help was probably his limit.

“Take care of yourself, then. I shall return first.”

Knowing his reasoning was sound, Ye Tianyi pressed no further.

She leaped over to the Tian Family Head. He had been healing with his eyes closed and did not know the ancestor was dead. He thought it was the ancestor coming toward him.

He was surprised to see Ye Tianyi.

“Noisy.”

Ye Tianyi knocked the Tian Family Head unconscious with a palm strike, then picked him up and left.