Chapter 0343: Just a Trivial Soul Essence
This one spear from Ning Cheng was just too shocking to the extreme, to the point that even Qi Le had to pay attention to it. Although Ning Cheng’s magical weapon was excellent, Qi Le had never thought that Ning Cheng, who was just a cultivator at the Soul Essence 3rd Level, would be able to kill a cultivator at the Soul Sculpting 4th Level. Moreover, it was a simple spear to the head, entirely without any skill.
It was not that he had never seen any level surpassing kills before, as he had indeed seen more than a fair share of Soul Essence Cultivators managing to kill Soul Sculpting Cultivators. However, the majority of them were already at the late stages of Soul Essence Realm. Moreover, he was also very clear on the Yan De’s strength, that he was not an ordinary Soul Sculpting 4th Level Cultivator.
In Qi Le’s view, there was no Soul Essence 3rd Level Cultivator who could kill Yan De; however, Ning Cheng managed to just do such a thing. Now that Ning Cheng had murdered Yan De, the only explanation that could explain this would be that Ning Cheng had another magical weapon that was just too powerful. Using these two Magical Weapons, someone with the cultivation of Soul Essence Realm was able to kill someone with a Soul Sculpting Realm Cultivation. It only caused Qi Le to grow more earnest in his heart; he must definitely get his hands on both of those magical weapons.
Although he was now just a single person, he was not worried. Even if Ning Cheng were more powerful, it would not have even a shred of impact on him. The difference in power between them was not just one or two levels, if his magical weapon were more powerful, it would still not be enough to bridge the gap. Thinking until here, Qi Li immediately unfurled the black banner in his hand causing black clouds to emerge from it, as they thundered towards Shi Qionghua.
Ning Cheng did not immediately come forward to help Shi Qionghua deal with him, he was well aware that the difference in his and Qi Le’s cultivation was too vast. Plunging headfirst into the fight would just be useless. As for the fact that he killed Yan De, it was because his magical weapon’s advantage was too vast. But the final strike was actually that one spear strike that he had comprehended from the Thunder City.
Qi Le once again powered up his attack, which Shi Qionghua was able to instantly feel, which caused her to transform her cyan coloured sword curtains into a whirlwind of sword winds, which stacked together like overlapping mountain peaks, which then turned once again into a single compact sheet. However, this individual sheet was still ultimately torn apart by the power behind the black cloud.
Qi Le suddenly issued a broken gong like shout, at the same time, a more massive black cloud emerged from the black banner transforming into a gigantic black dragon. The enormous black dragon opened his maw before unceremoniously swallowing Shi Qionghua’s layer of cyan coloured sword curtain in its entirety.
Not waiting for Shi Qionghua to respond, the black dragon once again opened its maw, and spat out countless amounts of cyan coloured sword curtains similar to the ones it had swallowed just now. Only this time, these cyan coloured sword lights had turned into several thousand black flag edges. Each flag edge was emitting a berserk baleful aura along with having a sharp point. It not only locked the surrounding space, but it also brought forth a compelling tearing atmosphere.
Qi Le, at this moment, really wanted to kill Shi Qionghua. Even if Shi Qionghua was beautiful, and would definitely be a good thing for him to use as an accompanying furnace to cultivate in the Sifting Orchid Star. But in the face of Ning Cheng’s magical weapons, even if Shi Qionghua were several times more beautiful, he would just throw it all aside.
“Boom Boom…” Shi Qionghua’s cyan coloured sword curtain and the thousands of black flag blade lights immediately collided together, causing explosive sounds to blast out.
This was Qi Le’s all-out attack, even if Shi Qionghua managed to hastily form a few sword curtains, but she was still thrown back by the tens of thousands of black flag blade lights.
Seeing the black flag blade lights managed to tear through Shi Qionghua’s sword curtains and was about to strike her, Ning Cheng immediately came forward without any hesitation while bringing out the shadow of the Everlasting Blue Thunder City. Allowing the Everlasting Blue Thunder City’s shadow to block the remaining black flag blade lights.
“Katcha” A sound emerged, the shadow had just touched the flag blade edges when the blue thunder city’s shadow instantaneously collapsed. Ning Cheng and Shi Qionghua were also thrown out tumbling, while simultaneously spraying out a mouthful of blood. However, Ning Cheng was able to help Shi Qionghua block the disaster heading her way, helping Shi Qionghua avoid a severe injury.
“Are you alright.” Shi Qionghua was incomparably anxious, as she hurriedly held onto to Ning Cheng to support him. She knew that it was her own carelessness that had caused this situation; otherwise, Ning Cheng would not have been injured for her sake.
Ning Cheng wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and spoke, “I’m alright, but my strength is still too far apart from him. Qionghua you will have to hold and divert his attention for a while. I’m not asking for you to completely go all out, just as long as you are not injured.”
Ning Cheng sent a sound transmission to Shi Qionghua, from what he had seen Shi Qionghua’s strength was not much worse than Qi Le’s. It was just that Shi Qionghua’s attacks seemed a bit weak because she lacked decisiveness.
“I know. I will not let you get hurt again.” Shi Qionghua spoke, while at the same time her entire body instantaneously erupted with an upsurge of imposing aura. Even the cyan sword in her hand was giving out intermittent bursts of sword hymns.
She had honestly not given her all a moment ago, but the reason why she did not go all out previously against Qi Le was due to an entirely different idea. She was, for the most part, was paying attention to Ning Cheng’s situation. She was afraid that in case she went all out, and if Ning Cheng ended up in a dangerous situation, she would have no means to save him. But now that Ning Cheng had killed his opponent, and also was injured because of her negligence, how could she still hold back her strength?
Seeing Shi Qionghua’s soaring imposing aura, Qi Le immediately realised that this white-robed woman had not gone all out with her strength in the previous exchange. It looks like just relying on his flag blade edges; he might not necessarily be able to kill this woman.
Trading blows once again, the grit and hard sandstone around Shi Qionghua and Qi Le instantly turned to dust. A cyan coloured sword curtain emerged which transformed into a few hundred feet long tearing blade light. But the banner dragon that Qi Le’s black banner had transformed from was always able to devour these dreadful cutting sword lights.
On the surface, it looked as if Shi Qionghua held the advantage over the fight. Although the black banner dragon was able to swallow these sword blade lights, it was not able to spit them back out in time as before. Even if it occasionally spat out some of those banner blade edges with that baleful aura, it was still not able to influence the overall situation. For a while, no one was able to kill his or her opposition.
Ning Cheng did not directly participate in the fight, he was fully aware as to what the advantages were and what the disadvantages of doing such a thing were. Compared to Qi Le, his cultivation was truly too shoddy. However, he had his own advantages as well, he was currently a Tier 7 Array Formation Grandmaster, if Ning Cheng did not utilise this superiority, then he would only be an idiot.
Ning Cheng at his fastest speed started arranging Array Formations around the two of them. Entrapment Arrays, Killing Arrays, Entangling Arrays…
As long as Ning Cheng was able to think of an Array Formation that he could arrange, he would immediately arrange it. He even arranged all kinds of Concealment Array Formations that he could think of.
Qi Le on seeing Ning Cheng arrange Array Formations sneered in his heart. Just a little Soul Essence Cultivator, and yet he still dared to surround him with array formations? Even if Qi Le stood there motionless, and allowed Ning Cheng to leisurely set up the array formations, it would still not pose a threat to him. However, even though he had such thoughts, he carefully observed Ning Cheng’s array formations.
When he saw that Ning Cheng was only arranging Rank 3 Entrapment Arrays, even his interest in continuing to look at it waned off. For him, there was just one worthy opponent, which was Shi Qionghua. Do not look at the current standoff between him and Shi Qionghua; it is only because he had still not brought out his killer move. He was only waiting for his banner dragon to swallow a certain amount of sword curtains, and then he would just unleash all of it letting his opponent die without even a burial place.
The more sword curtains the opposite side could bring out, the higher would be the power of the banner dragon’s final eruption. Nobody knew how terrifyingly powerful his black banner magical weapon was, once it struck out with its last burst, then it would already be too late for anything.
Ning Cheng naturally was not arranging Rank 3 Entrapment Arrays to surround Qi Le; he knew that even if he detonated Rank 3 Killing Arrays, it would be meaningless in front of Qi Le. After arranging a few Rank 3 Entrapment Arrays, he then arranged a Concealment Array Formation. Inside this Concealment Array Formation, were the real aces of array formations that he was organising. They were the Rank 6 Entrapment Arrays and Rank 6 Killing Arrays.
Arranging a Rank 7 Killing Array would take too long, and as such were not suitable for the current situation, but Rank 6 Killing Arrays, he would definitely be able to arrange them. A Rank 6 Killing Array plus a Rank 6 Entrapment Array, along with a Rank 6 Chain Linking Killing Array, he did not believe that with these three kinds of array formations he would not be able to trap this red-haired ghost for a time. Now that Qi Le was not of a mind to care about his ‘Rank 3 Array Formations’, it would be the best thing for him.
Ning Cheng knew that even if Shi Qionghua’s strength was not worse than Qi Le’s, but when it came to discussing the degree of cunningness, Shi Qionghua was not a match for Qi Le. So as he arranged the array formations, he kept a close watch on the battle between the two of them.
He soon became aware that something was not right. Properly speaking, Qi Le should be highly motivated to kill them, so it was impossible for him to always be focussing on defence. But looking at Qi Le’s defensive manoeuvres currently, especially no matter how many sword curtains Shi Qionghua blasted out, they would all be swallowed by Qi Le’s banner dragon. Although it would counterattack occasionally, the strength behind the counter-attack was something not enough to threaten Shi Qionghua.
This was not the real cultivation of Qi Le; thinking of this, Ning Cheng quickly sent a sound transmission to Shi Qionghua, “Qionghua, looks like there is some kind of secret to the banner dragon of the red-haired ghost. Don’t attack; just go into defensive mode for now.”
Shi Qionghua also felt that something was not right. However, she was not able to point to what she was not feeling right about. Now that Ning Cheng reminded her, she immediately felt sobering up. Qi Le’s performance right now was too low-key if this person erupted with his full strength, then perhaps he might be slightly stronger, but then why would he choose to take beatings as if his hands were tied?
She was always the person who listened to Ning Cheng’s words, so she immediately recalled her cyan sword light curtains that were sent out before she brought out a round shield. Although the cyan coloured sword curtain was still present, she did not attack with it. Instead, she used it to form a defensive wall around her.
As Shi Qionghua switched from offensive to defensive tactics, Qi Le was instantly able to perceive it. Causing him to feel slightly shocked as he thought, did the opposite party finally realise the threat from his magical weapon?
Although he could unleash his Banner Dragon at this moment, however, Qi Le was clear in his heart, that the sword curtains that his Banner Dragon had devoured until now, at most would only be sufficient to cause a severe wound to the opposite party, but would be insufficient to kill them. He needed more True Essence from devouring those sword curtains before he unleashed his attack, only then would he be able to trigger the final strike powerful enough to kill the opposite party in one blow.
His magical weapon had a strange name, called the Parasitic Dragon Banner. Facing an enemy, it would be able to incorporate the True Essence in their attacks, allowing the magical weapon to transform and use it alongside its own power to create a shadow of the black banner dragon.
This black banner dragon can devour any type of attack from the opponent, and then turn this attack into their own offence before spitting it out towards the enemies. This was merely one of its functions, the most important and the killer move was that he could induce a self-explosion within the shadow of the banner dragon. Moreover, after effecting the self-detonation, it would not produce any kind of influence on the magical weapon itself.
The only shortcoming was that for inducing the shadow of the banner dragon to detonate, it must devour a large number of attacks from the opponent. The more powerful attacks that it could swallow, the more terrifying would be the explosion produced.
Because it can only devour the True Essence of the opponent’s attacks, as a prerequisite for inducing the self-detonation, therefore it was called as the Parasitic Dragon Banner. Now that Shi Qionghua was not attacking him, the banner dragon could also not devour the sword curtain, which resulted in it unable to fulfil the conditions for inducing the self-detonation.
Qi Le immediately turned anxious; he honestly did not want to induce the self-detonation right now. He thought that the opposition wanted to take a short rest before they would undoubtedly continue with the attack once again. As long as he continued to counter-attack, the other party would definitely attack him again.
Thinking until here, Qi Le immediately stimulated his black banner dragon to continuously send out those many banner blade edges emitting a fierce and wild baleful aura. These Banner Blade Edges were much more aggressive than the ones from before. However, Shi Qionghua already had experienced it back then, so she was able to resist it albeit with some difficulty.
As more and more of those black banner blade edges emitting baleful aura were being spewed out by Qi Le’s black banner dragon, Qi Le was turning more and more anxious. If it continued this way, then the power he had stored up for the detonation of the banner dragon would only be getting smaller and smaller. Once the banner dragon spewed out all the True Essence it devoured from the sword light, the banner dragon would no longer be able to self-destruct.
As Qi Le was turning even more anxious, Ning Cheng suddenly rushed into the area of the battle between the two people, while at the same time also sending an axe chop towards Qi Le.
Qi Le’s heart immediately overflowed with joy, he was just worrying in his heart that nobody would attack his banner dragon, but then Ning Cheng came along. As long as he killed this Soul Essence Cultivator, would he still need to be afraid if he could not finish off this white-robed female cultivator?