Lu Yuqi was blocked by Fanzhu, and the two began to fight fiercely.
Both were Divine Transcendent cultivators of the Great Symbol Nation, with comparable cultivation levels. Their battle involved the display of divine abilities and bursts of radiant runes, reducing nearby rocks and trees to rubble. Their fight was much more balanced and visually impressive compared to the one-sided pursuit of Zhang Yi by the Dragon Whisker Scissors.
After crashing into Jixiu and killing him, the Dragon Whisker Scissors didn't lose momentum. Its twin blades opened wide, radiating powerful spiritual energy, and continued its deadly chase toward Zhang Yi.
"Run!"
Seeing the scissors closing in on him, Zhang Yi abandoned all other thoughts.
He swiftly turned and moved his feet, creating ripples in the ground. His figure became a phantom, flickering like an elusive shadow drifting away at an incredible speed.
Watching Zhang Yi's peculiar escape technique, Ji Xia stroked his chin and mused, "Zhang Yi wasn't bluffing. With such a teleportation method, if he insists on running, even three or five of me couldn't stop him. But will the Dragon Whisker Scissors catch up to him?"
In a flash, Zhang Yi's phantom form widened the distance between himself and the scissors, escaping far away within moments.
Just as he exhaled a breath of relief, thinking he had eluded death, a tremendous pressure surged from behind. Stretching out a sliver of spiritual awareness, he saw the scissors' open blades aiming at his body, cutting down in one swift motion!
Terror-stricken, Zhang Yi's face twisted in fear, his proud demeanor utterly shattered.
He activated his spiritual wheel, unleashing another burst of spiritual energy that forcefully propelled him a hundred zhang (meters) away, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.
"Qin Ji! If I survive this, I will make sure you die without a grave!"
Ji Xia chuckled coldly. "Zhang Yi, perhaps you should focus on staying alive first."
Furious, Zhang Yi's heart roiled. As a prodigy of the Giant Nation's Monkey Spirit Tribe, he had never been so humiliated! Just moments ago, he had mocked Ji Xia as a predator toys with prey, only for their roles to be reversed within a matter of breaths.
He had become a frantic mouse scrambling for survival, while Ji Xia, like a leisurely cat, watched his struggles with amusement.
This stark reversal was a sharp nail driven into Zhang Yi's heart and soul—a thorn that would hinder his future progress.
The scissors effortlessly caught up to Zhang Yi once more, striking toward him.
"This next cut... will kill me!"
With a furious roar, Zhang Yi flipped his left hand, revealing a delicate white stone resembling an egg. Without hesitation, he channeled his spiritual energy to strike his own chest, forcing out a mouthful of blood that splashed onto the stone.
Instead of pricking his finger or biting his tongue, Zhang Yi chose the fastest method—internal impact—to buy precious seconds.
As the blood soaked into the white stone, it turned jet black, forming cracks before shattering into a spray of fine black sand.
The sand enveloped Zhang Yi, forming a massive black cocoon around him.
The scissors cut down!
The collision produced a deafening boom, the sheer force leaving cracks across the cocoon's surface.
This black cocoon was no ordinary treasure—it was a rare divine artifact.
But against the Dragon Whisker Scissors, a weapon so enigmatic even the Xuanjian Treasure Mirror couldn't discern its mysteries, it was outmatched.
With another strike, a headless dragon's shadow emerged from the scissors, plunging into the cocoon. The black cocoon exploded instantly, the devastating force overwhelming Zhang Yi.
Caught in the blast, Zhang Yi activated his spiritual energy in defense, but a dragon's roar pierced his ears, transforming into an insidious power that targeted his spiritual wheel directly.
In a blink, Zhang Yi's spiritual wheel shattered completely.
The fourfold Divine Transcendent cultivator let out a heart-wrenching scream, reduced to a mere mortal.
The dragon shadow dissipated, and the scissors, now drained of power, shrank back into Ji Xia's hand. He tucked them into his robes and turned to Zhang Yi, who had slumped to the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices, his gaze icy with hatred.
"Zhang Yi, you couldn't break my will."
Zhang Yi's eyes suddenly lit up with a sinister glow, casting Ji Xia's figure into the light.
Ji Xia frowned as Zhang Yi burst into wild laughter, blood spilling from his mouth. "Qin Ji! I've etched your visage into my spiritual awareness! Even if you destroy me, my clan elders will recover my remnants and track you down! When that day comes, your nation, your race, your bloodline will all be eradicated!"
A twisted smile formed on his face as he seemed to revel in the imagined destruction of Ji Xia's world.
Ji Xia shook his head, leaning closer to Zhang Yi. In a calm voice, he said, "Zhang Yi, this is not my true face..."
"What... My spiritual awareness shows..." Zhang Yi's eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could finish, a silver sword materialized out of nowhere, piercing his fragile body.
With a spurt of blood, Zhang Yi collapsed, dead and unavenged.
Witnessing the once-mighty Zhang Yi fall so easily, Zhao Wu stood silent, unsure of what to say.
Nearby, Fanzhu and Lu Yuqi's battle was nearing its end. Though they had been evenly matched at first, Zhang Yi's death unbalanced Lu Yuqi's mindset. Fanzhu seized the opportunity, unleashing a divine strike that sent Lu Yuqi crashing into the ground.
Just as Fanzhu was about to deliver the finishing blow, Lu Yuqi suddenly lunged toward Ji Xia.
Ji Xia furrowed his brow. Drained of spiritual energy, he knew he was in no condition to defend against her.
However, Lu Yuqi stopped short, kneeling a few meters away.
"Brother Qin!" she cried, her voice trembling. "I'm willing to serve you as a slave. Please spare my life!"
Her delicate features exuded helplessness, her long hair cascading like a fragile veil.
Ji Xia walked closer, studying her intently. His fingers brushed her hair as he smiled faintly. "Yuqi, you are indeed enchanting."
Fanzhu and Zhao Wu frowned, their impressions of Ji Xia souring. "Who knew such a promising youth would succumb to lust?"
Lu Yuqi's eyes gleamed with hope at Ji Xia's compliment. She opened her mouth to plead further, but before she could, a burst of light radiated from Ji Xia's left hand.
Like a bolt of lightning, his palm struck her forehead.
His spiritual energy, needle-sharp, pierced her brain, extinguishing her life. She crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Ji Xia narrowed his eyes. "With a heart as venomous as yours, not even a binding contract can make me trust you. Better luck in your next life."