Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine: The Witch Qianqian

Brother Liu had no choice but to shift his cultivation technique. His cyan flying sword instantly retracted, intercepting Tian Qian’s demonic claws.

"Clang!" The sound of metal striking metal rang out. The flying sword struck the demonic claws, yet they remained completely unharmed, while the sword shattered into several pieces. What a horrifying physique—to be able to shatter a mid-grade flying sword! Tian Qian’s claws continued their trajectory, still aiming for his left chest.

Her sharp, emerald-green fingernails, glowing with a sinister light, pierced straight into Brother Liu’s chest. Even the protective barrier he had cast was as good as non-existent, offering no resistance at all. Terrified, Brother Liu retreated rapidly, his back slamming into the barrier of the competition platform, causing him to rebound—only to be met once again by those ghostly green claws.

At this critical moment, a crack was torn into the competition platform’s barrier behind him. A flash of pitch-black light surged forward with a "boom," striking the demonic claws. The emerald nails snapped instantly, and Tian Qian was blasted back several yards. A black staff, as thick as a bowl, extended inward, twisting eerily like a noodle to coil around Brother Liu’s waist before retracting with a "whoosh." Brother Liu was pulled safely outside the barrier.

The black staff flickered and released him, shrinking at a visible rate until it was the size of a sewing needle, returning to the hand of a man. The shaken Brother Liu looked up and was stunned into silence: the one who had saved him was Lei Xiang, who had been completely defeated in the very first match. The aura radiating from Lei Xiang now was far beyond that of a small Qi-refining cultivator. Could it be that he had been hiding his true strength?

Brother Liu cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks, Junior Brother... oh, no, thank you for your help, Senior. I—"

Lei Xiang smiled and interrupted him. "You saved me, and now I’ve saved you. We are even. Actually, when I was competing with this Tian Qian, I noticed something was wrong. She didn't withdraw her golden blade even after I conceded, and she kept attacking even after I had fled her range. This person is deeply problematic."

"Swoosh!" The competition platform’s barrier was torn open again. Tian Qian leaped out. Lei Xiang quickly reached out and tossed Brother Liu dozens of yards away; in such a fight, staying here would only be a hindrance. "We meet again. You came prepared, didn't you?"

The blood-red hue in Tian Qian’s eyes had faded, replaced by a look of mockery. She suddenly said something strange: "Lei Xiang, didn't expect it to be me, did you?"

How did she know Lei Xiang?

Before the words had even faded, Tian Qian transformed again. This time, she didn't turn demonic; instead, she swelled like rising dough. Her entire body "bloomed," transforming from a slim young girl into a middle-aged woman with a waist as wide as a water barrel—a massive woman weighing at least three hundred pounds.

"The Landlady?"

This person was actually Qianqian of the Laughing Tooth organization. She had managed to track them down and even had the audacity to break into the Boro Sect. Lei Xiang’s mind raced as he analyzed the situation, his hand tightening on the grip of his Nine-Nine Immortal-Shooting Spear. This Qianqian was at least at the late stage of Core Formation; he was no match for her. And with Dugu Yixiao’s fate unknown, what could he do?

At that moment, Qianqian’s charming voice rang out, carrying to every corner of the Boro Grounds. "Listen, Daoist Wubo of the Boro Sect. Don't worry about who we are; just know that we are here to apprehend a defector. Once finished, we will withdraw immediately, and it will have nothing to do with your sect. Your twenty elite disciples are currently under my control, so I suggest you do not act rashly~"

To have such a massive body while using such a seductive voice to deliver such an arrogant declaration was truly bizarre.

A cold, crisp snort echoed, and an elegant voice replied, "To run wild in my Boro Sect? Blood Tooth, you are not qualified." Even Qianqian trembled slightly upon hearing this voice. The elegant tone carried an underlying air of slaughter. The moment the voice ceased, a cyan shadow appeared out of thin air. Qianqian felt a tightness in her chest. The shadow flickered, revealing a refined middle-aged man in a cyan headscarf and simple cloth robes; his plain attire exuded a subtle, graceful air.

He seemed motionless, yet he also seemed to be in constant motion. In an instant, the barriers of all the competition platforms burst, and thirteen corpses rolled out from within. Looking at the bodies, the fat on Qianqian’s face twitched violently. Daoist Wubo said indifferently, "Your people are finished. What do you have left to threaten me with now?"

Qianqian’s eyes turned blood-red again. She knew that Daoist Wubo possessed profound cultivation, having reached an incomparable level. He had wiped out the thirteen Blood Teeth she brought with a mere wave of his hand. It seemed that if she didn't use her trump card, even escaping would be impossible. She waved her fair hand, and a mist of blood enveloped her massive frame.

Lei Xiang pushed his divine sense to the limit, but he could not see through the blood mist, even when activating his Divine Thunder Slash. He was horrified. However, the Boro Sect leader, Daoist Wubo, appeared to be at the Great Perfection of the late Core Formation stage, more than enough to deal with one Qianqian. Lei Xiang’s eyes darted; he formed hand seals, activated the Laughing Pride Covering Heaven Technique, and used his Hundred-Change Fantastic Pupils to vanish from the spot.

By now, the blood mist was growing thicker, forming an oval, cocoon-like shape. Faint sounds emerged from within, like a rat gnawing on wood. For the first time, a stern expression appeared on Daoist Wubo’s face as he softly chanted, "Supreme Boro, Appear!"

A cyan light flew in from beyond the sky, piercing straight into the thick blood cocoon. This was the Supreme Boro Divine Sword that Daoist Wubo had used for a hundred years—a masterpiece artifact far superior to any high-grade tool. It struck the cocoon without a sound, yet it sent the blood mist scattering in all directions. The cocoon dimmed but was not destroyed.

Daoist Wubo’s expression remained as calm as an ancient well. He pointed his sword-fingers, and the Supreme Boro Divine Sword spun, releasing dozens of cyan sword qi that plunged into the cocoon. The blood mist outside churned, wrapping around the sword qi. The qi tried to rampage, but the mist was sticky and entangling; the two forces, one hard and one soft, fought incessantly.

Daoist Wubo shifted his spiritual incantations, and the sword qi gathered into a thirty-foot-long blade of light, striking down heavily. The blood mist was shaken away, but it gathered again moments later, re-entangling the blade of light. No matter how it hacked or slashed, it was to no avail. Daoist Wubo frowned, recalled the Supreme Boro Divine Sword, and decided to ignore the entangled sword qi, preparing to attack with the sword’s main body. After all, if he delayed any longer, Qianqian’s transformation would be complete.

Daoist Wubo gripped the hilt of the Supreme Boro with both hands, held it upright with solemnity, and poured all his spiritual power into it. The tip of the sword hummed and vibrated. Daoist Wubo waved his large sleeve: "Go!" The divine weapon flew like a meteor into the blood cocoon. This time, the blood mist did not entangle or churn; the inside seemed perfectly calm.

With a muffled "pop," the cocoon exploded automatically, but the blood mist curled inward and was completely absorbed. Daoist Wubo looked closely and saw a monster. It still held the form of Qianqian, the body just as obese, but a single horn had sprouted from her head, and her mouth had grown much larger, though it was now tightly shut.

Daoist Wubo had great self-restraint, truly living up to his title "Wubo" (No Waves). Seeing such a bizarre event, his expression remained calm. He summoned the Supreme Boro Divine Sword, which flashed with cyan light to guard his body. He then took out a golden bowl that radiated a pure Buddhist aura—the perfect tool to deal with evil spirits. The bowl took to the air, rotating clockwise. Daoist Wubo cast one spiritual incantation after another into it; the golden light around the bowl intensified, slowly descending upon the transformed Qianqian.

Qianqian did not panic. She raised a hand, and a beam of golden light shot out. With a "clang," it collided with the golden bowl. As expected of a Buddhist treasure, the demonic golden blade she fired instantly turned into golden powder that drifted into the dust. Qianqian’s fat face changed color. Her cultivation after the transformation was already nearing the late stage of Core Formation, yet it was easily neutralized by Wubo. It seemed she really had to flee.

Thinking this, she shifted her hand seals. Blood light swirled around the horn on her head, and she lowered her head to charge. The horn was indeed formidable; in just two strikes, it broke through the Supreme Boro Array that Daoist Wubo had set up. Qianqian, regardless of the heavy toll on her power, summoned a red flying sword beneath her feet. Just as she stepped onto it to flee into the sky, a golden light arrived three feet above her head along with a voice: "Stop, where are you fleeing to?" A gentle Buddhist light shone down. Qianqian felt her whole body go warm, losing every ounce of her strength as she began to drift into a deep sleep.

The soft light from the bowl dimmed, and Qianqian, bathed in the glow, grew increasingly weak. She knew this was no good; if this continued, she would be trapped to death by the gentle Buddhist light. With a hardened heart, she opened her large mouth and whispered a series of silent incantations. The sound of a rat gnawing on wood rang out again. With a muffled "puff," a hole was poked through Qianqian’s fat cheek, and a set of teeth, white as lotus roots, pierced through.