Chapter One Hundred: You Are the One Who Will Die!

"Since you know it was I who killed Luo Yi, why did you not wait until you had entered the ranks of the Demon Marshals before coming to trouble me? Even if you are somewhat stronger than Luo Yi, you are still only half a step away from becoming a Demon Marshal. There has been no true leap in power. Why rush here so impatiently?"

Liu Ping thought for a moment, then voiced the doubt that had been weighing on him.

In truth, if Luo Qi cultivated slowly and waited until he broke through to Demon Marshal, he too would be able to master the Descent of Gods and Demons, his strength undergoing a genuine transformation. Though the gulf in realm would be even greater, the two sides' combat power would, paradoxically, end up more evenly matched.

Luo Qi, of course, did not know this. Hearing the question, he let out a sneer, his face twisting as he said fiercely, "You think it is so easy to break through to Demon Marshal? How ridiculous. If you had not caused Luo Yi's death, I would already be a Demon Marshal by now! You severed my path of cultivation. This hatred runs as deep as rivers, lakes, and seas! If I do not kill you, how can I calm my heart, cultivate in peace, and seek another path to advance?"

"So that is how it is. Luo Yi's siphoning of fortune was not merely for his own use, but also related to you. Or rather, the two of you were using each other," Liu Ping said, his expression clearing. "I was not wrong, was I?"

"Exactly. Now do you understand why I want to kill you so badly?" Luo Qi said coldly.

Liu Ping smiled and said indifferently, "If I can help you break through to Demon Marshal, will you spare me?"

At that, Luo Qi's expression changed. With disbelief, he asked, "You have a way to help me break through to Demon Marshal?"

"Of course. This is a trade. You let me go, and I will find a way to help you break through. If you agree, then we part as if nothing had happened. You leave at once. If you refuse, then even if you kill me, you will have to pay a sufficient price. It would simply not be worth the trouble. What do you say?"

Luo Qi hesitated, uncertain. After a moment's thought, he suddenly raised his head with a vicious look and said coldly, "The method. Tell me now!"

"If I tell you now, what if you turn on me after crossing the river?" Liu Ping replied.

"Enough nonsense! How do I know whether your method is true or false? A mere Human Immortal actually claims to have a way to help me break through to Demon Marshal. How am I supposed to believe you?"

Liu Ping gave a light laugh and looked at Luo Qi as though gazing at some provincial bumpkin, saying with disdain, "Have you seen my treasures? Have you seen my arts? Did they not open your eyes? You are only a half-step Demon Marshal and have not seen the world at all. What right do you have to make such a judgment?"

Though mocked so openly, Luo Qi did not become angry. On the contrary, he grew even calmer, and said coolly, "Hmph. Do not try to change the subject. Whether you choose or not is up to you. Death or life, this is the consequence of your choice. As for me, I simply cannot break through for the moment. Playing little tricks in front of me is utterly meaningless."

Liu Ping let out a soft sigh, looking at Luo Qi with some regret. This fellow truly was cunning; he could not be easily fooled. Shaking his head, he said, "I think you are mistaken."

"Where am I mistaken?" Luo Qi asked.

Liu Ping fixed him with a cold stare. "The choice between death and life should be in your hands. If you want to live, then do not fight me. If you want to die, then keep stubbornly going your own way."

Luo Qi froze, staring at Liu Ping in disbelief. Then, in furious laughter, he said, "Hahaha! Even now, you still dare to act so arrogantly. You truly will not shed a tear until you see the coffin!"

Underwater

Camphor County, Camphor River Water Palace

Seagrass swayed in slender strands, the white sand lay fine and even, jagged rocks rose in strange and wondrous forms, and great stretches of coral were inlaid with gemstones, glittering with crystal light as splendor turned and shimmered everywhere, exquisite beyond compare.

Ahead stood a palace, fully enveloped by a pale golden barrier. Though water still filled the space within, the pressure of the water had vanished, and one could breathe freely. A shrimp soldier, with the body of a man and the head of a shrimp, dressed in armor and looking utterly disheveled, hurried toward the palace.

"Report!"

Inside the great hall, a turtle chancellor, his shell on his back, was busy with official matters. He kept sighing now and then, a most pitiful sight. Hearing the shout, he barked, "What is the matter? Why are you in such a panic?"

Nearby stood several aquatic spirits, all glancing at one another in confusion, not knowing what had happened.

"Chancellor! Chancellor! Two demons have come up on the river, together with a cultivator, and they are fighting!" the shrimp soldier said hastily.

Upon hearing this, the turtle chancellor grew furious. "Outrageous! They think our Camphor River Water Palace has no Water God in office? To be so rampant! Black General, take a squad of elite troops and come with me to have a look!"

At once, the blackfish general knelt and took the order. "Yes!"

Before long, the turtle chancellor and the blackfish general charged upward and surfaced on the water. They had just begun to shout with imposing authority when they saw the two demons and the cultivator in the sky, and their expressions changed at once.

"This, this...!"

The cultivator above had very low cultivation, but the demon beside him possessed astonishing strength. His demonic aura surged like a tide, infinitely close to that of a Demon Marshal. If the Water God were here, holding the Camphor River Water God's Seal and possessing the cultivation of a newly ascended Earth Immortal, he might barely be able to prevail. But with only these few of them present, they would not even be enough for their opponent to kill in a single strike.

The blackfish general's face changed dramatically, and the water troops beside him were thrown into complete disarray, plainly shocked by that overwhelming demonic aura.

The Black General said, "Chancellor, what should we do? Should we try to persuade them to leave, or...?"

"Do not make a sound!" the turtle chancellor hurriedly stopped him. "Let it go. The Water God is not here, and we have no strength. We cannot act recklessly. That would be foolishness, not heroism!"

The Black General hurriedly flattered him. "The Chancellor is wise!"

The turtle chancellor nodded. "That human cultivator is about to die, but this has nothing to do with us. Hurry back..."

Suddenly, his expression changed. "No! That demon is acting too recklessly!"

Up in the sky, Luo Qi, having fought Liu Ping without success for a long time, was consumed by fury and began to unleash his hidden killing move.

"Triple Burst Essence Art!"

One after another, enormous black spheres were spat out. Liu Ping was horrified; every hair on his body stood on end as he sensed the breath of death. His heart tightened, and he tried to flee, but it was already too late.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions rose to the heavens, sending hundred-zhang waves surging across the river surface. Countless fish and shrimp in the Camphor River were blown apart and killed outright, the riverbed laid bare, and even the water palace below suffered damage. One corner of the golden barrier shattered, and turbulent currents roiled in its wake.

The turtle chancellor and the blackfish generals stood stunned, their hearts turned cold.

The turtle chancellor stared fixedly at the teleportation formation over there and saw that it had been damaged. His scalp prickled as he muttered, "The teleportation formation is ruined. The newly appointed Water God may not be able to come for the moment! Damn it! This demon, I will make him pay dearly!"

Liu Ping's body could no longer bear the strain, and he fell onto the riverbed.

In the sky, Luo Qi looked down at him and sneered. "Me, die? Your joke is not the least bit funny. Very well, I showed you mercy just now, and you should understand by now that if I truly wanted to kill you, it would be far too easy. Speak. How exactly will you help me break through to Demon Marshal?"

With difficulty, Liu Ping rose to his feet. Around him, water kept surging in from every direction, and in the blink of an eye it had reached his knees. He raised his head, baring his teeth in a grin. "You actually believed that? You are truly foolish!"

Been played? Luo Qi was instantly enraged. His fury soared to the heavens as he shouted, "I will have your life!"

"I already said it..."

"The one who dies is you."

Liu Ping's eyes changed. All the emotions that had been there only moments before vanished in an instant, replaced by an icy stillness so profound it seemed able to freeze and split everything in existence. He stared straight at Luo Qi. The latter, who had been blazing with rage a moment ago, suddenly felt as though he had fallen into an abyss of ice. In that instant, he was actually struck motionless, his hands and feet refusing to move!

Fear burst from the depths of his heart. Looking into Liu Ping's eyes, Luo Qi felt as though he had been dragged into an endless abyss.

What was happening?!

"Though I have only mastered the Water God and Demon..." Liu Ping said calmly, his gaze vacant and frigid, without the slightest trace of emotion, "it is already enough to kill you."

He seemed like an exalted god or demon standing high above all things, looking down upon a tiny ant.

At this moment, Liu Ping had a strange feeling: even if Luo Qi were to break through and become a Demon Marshal, he could still kill him. And now, what did a mere half-step Demon Marshal amount to?

Then changes began to appear over Liu Ping's body. A huge figure, pale blue in color, slowly emerged behind him...