Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Dao Soldier Wings Display Their Might

I somehow caught a cold in the middle of summer... Tonight’s third update will be a little late; I’ll try to get it out around midnight.

My nose is completely blocked and I feel terrible... Please send some recommendation votes and tips to comfort me...

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A sneak attack launched from the road like that—how could he possibly let the other man succeed so easily?

He had never used the Artifact Wings before, aside from tempering his swordsmanship and guarding against exactly this sort of accident.

With a disdainful snort, he unfurled the Artifact Wings in an instant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A long saber, two bronze swords, a jade hairpin, a spear, and a jade talisman—an assortment of weapons wrapped in shimmering spiritual light—shot out like lightning, carrying an overwhelming force as they charged straight at Shi Tuo’s two clones.

“No!”

The two red-haired monsters, Shi Tuo, flashed with terror in their eyes. Sensing an unprecedented danger, they cried out and tried to flee, but it was already too late.

His strength was comparable to a third-cycle Human Immortal, and he was indeed somewhat troublesome. But if Liu Ping used his swordsmanship killing moves, he could still defeat him. Let alone now that he had the Artifact Wings—how could some fool who thought to ambush him possibly hope to live? He was simply courting death!

Empowered magical instruments erupted with power Shi Tuo could not withstand. Brilliant light blazed, spiritual energy surged, and the weapons swept through, tearing his entire body apart and turning it into a rain of shattered flesh.

“This is... damn it.”

Not far away, Luo Qi watched as Liu Ping instantly spread his attack-focused Artifact Wings. Her expression turned dark at once. Such power was far greater than before—so why had he not used it against her earlier? Could it be... that this bastard had been using her as a whetstone to temper his swordsmanship?

At that thought, she froze, then exploded with rage. It was as if a vicious fire had surged up inside her, impossible to suppress.

“Die! Die! Die!”

Luo Qi bared her fangs. The injury she had taken from the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun earlier had been nothing more than a minor wound, of no real consequence. But now, in her fury, her power burst forth. Black light gathered around her body in a great ring as she ground forward like a war chariot, surging with a majestic force, as though overturning mountains and seas. The sight was truly shocking.

“Hm? He’s not dead?”

Seeing Shi Tuo’s body not far away slowly merge back together into flesh once more, though his aura had weakened, Liu Ping could not help frowning. Then his eyelid twitched, and he turned his head in a hurry.

Luo Qi was already charging at him, so fast it made him dumbfounded. Her attack was even more ferocious. Has this woman gone mad? Why was she suddenly fighting so desperately?

Liu Ping could only smile bitterly in his heart. He no longer had time to care about Shi Tuo. Hastily recalling the Artifact weapons, he reformed them into the shape of wings and gave them a violent flap. His speed instantly soared as he became a black shadow, fleeing at full speed.

Luo Qi snorted coldly and pursued him like a madwoman.

But Liu Ping was simply too fast. With the enhancement of the Artifact Wings, in the blink of an eye he had actually left Luo Qi so far behind she was nearly unable to see him.

“This... this... just what kind of spell is this?!”

Luo Qi looked at Liu Ping, who had become only a black streak, and could not help sucking in a sharp breath. Her own speed was far above his, yet now, even with all her strength, she was still being completely outclassed by him. It was truly unbelievable.

“Could it be that this bastard was just playing with me before?” Luo Qi said in a daze. “How can he be this fast?”

“No!”

Just as Liu Ping was about to vanish from sight, Luo Qi finally came to herself. From the beginning of their battle until now, she could clearly sense that Liu Ping had not been holding back at all. Rather, this technique was simply too heaven-defying. He was only a peak first-cycle Human Immortal, just barely stepping into the second cycle.

“I can’t let him scare me like this. If I can get my hands on a technique like that, it would be like a tiger growing wings. He must still be hiding many secrets. This may well be my chance...”

Muttering under her breath, greed flashed through Luo Qi’s eyes. She turned to look at Shi Tuo, whose face had gone pale with lingering fear, and ordered, “Come with me!”

Shi Tuo possessed his own intelligence. He had already been thoroughly beaten into fear by that earlier strike. Liu Ping was simply too dangerous. Now that he had seen such terrifying speed as well, he was even more frightened and had already begun to entertain the thought of not opposing him.

So when Luo Qi issued the command, he resisted at first. But very soon, his eyes went empty. He was now fully under Luo Qi’s control.

“Pursue him!”

By then, Liu Ping, who had fled madly into the distance, was also startled by his own speed. Such swiftness had instantly left the two evil creatures with not even a shadow in sight. It was exhilarating beyond measure.

He could not help exclaiming in delighted self-talk, “The Artifact Wings are mainly for attack, but since they are called wings, they can naturally enhance speed as well. The inheritance mentioned that before, though only in passing—it was said to be merely a minor side benefit. And yet this little side benefit has given me such astonishing speed? Incredible!”

“Looks like I underestimated these Artifact Wings. Their truly ferocious offensive power is probably still beyond what I can fully unleash.”

He let out a breath of relief. Feeling that he had consumed too much spiritual energy, he hurriedly swallowed two pills to replenish it and continued onward.

Afterward, he found a secluded place, suppressed his aura, hid himself, and began to quietly regulate his breathing.

But very soon, Luo Qi had chased after him. For some reason, she seemed to know exactly where Liu Ping was hiding and attacked directly.

If Liu Ping had not reacted quickly, he would likely have suffered a serious injury from that strike.

With the Artifact Wings flapping behind him and the Azure-Solemn Sword in hand, Liu Ping fixed Luo Qi and Shi Tuo with a cold stare.

What he had not expected was that Luo Qi and Shi Tuo would say nothing at all and simply attack again, their eyes burning with fanaticism.

Boom!

Black light flickered into a dark ring. Luo Qi pounced with both claws raised high, intending to rip Liu Ping apart in one stroke.

Liu Ping slashed with his sword, and at the same time spread the Artifact Wings to attack from both sides.

“Secret Art: Burst Essence Art!”

Seeing the sword qi and several magical instruments striking together, Luo Qi was instead delighted rather than alarmed. With a sharp cry, she spat out a massive black sphere from her mouth, which slammed forward like a cannonball.

The instant the black sphere collided with the sword qi and the magical instruments, it exploded.

BOOM!!!

The blast was terrifying, like thunder cracking on level ground. Black light burst open at once, spreading and surging in all directions, unleashing an unimaginable shockwave. Liu Ping only felt his blood and qi churning violently before he was hurled high into the air.

He hurriedly steadied himself and swallowed the blood that had surged up his throat. Quickly retracting the Artifact Wings, he discovered that many of the weapons had already been contaminated to some degree, their surfaces filthy and mottled, their spiritual radiance dimmed.

Damn it!

Liu Ping’s eyes instantly went red. This loss was far too great.

“Go to hell!”

Luo Qi had not been harmed by the explosion at all. Her complexion was even better than before, and she revealed a ferocious smile. Opening her mouth once more, she used her secret technique: Burst Essence Art!

Another enormous black sphere shot from her mouth. Liu Ping was startled and hurriedly urged the Artifact Wings. With a whoosh, he vanished from where he stood and darted off into the distance.

Watching Liu Ping’s fleeing back, Luo Qi showed no disappointment. Instead, she let out a cold smile, quite satisfied.

By now, she had fully grasped Liu Ping’s true strength. He was not all that remarkable. As long as she was careful, she could deal with him easily.

With that thought, she pursued him again.

The Artifact Wings were fast, but they consumed far too much power. Liu Ping could only solve the problem by continuously swallowing spirit pills. He tried to shake Luo Qi off with sheer speed, but from what had happened earlier, something must have been placed on him as a mark. If he did not remove that, he would never be able to escape her.

But where that mark was, he had no idea at all. Even the Purifying Body Incantation was useless, which left Liu Ping deeply troubled. Things had become truly troublesome.

Thus the two of them went on, one fleeing and the other chasing.

Liu Ping had originally wanted to lure these monsters toward the daoist temples of his uncle-master Xuan Shen or his senior sister, but he soon realized he had completely lost his bearings. He had no idea where he was anymore. He could only smile wryly. It seemed he would have to find a way to deal with these two once and for all.

Before long, Liu Ping arrived at a great river.

The river was wide, spanning several dozen miles. At a glance, it stretched endlessly, glittering with rippling light beneath the moon.

The current was not slow, and the sound of rushing water was clear and distinct.

After waiting in the air for a moment, Luo Qi and Shi Tuo soon arrived.

Seeing Liu Ping standing quietly, Luo Qi could not help but reveal a mocking smile and asked, “Have you accepted your fate?”

“I have one thing I don’t understand,” Liu Ping said calmly.

Luo Qi glanced at Shi Tuo and signaled for him to lie in ambush. Even if he had to die, he was to hold Liu Ping back for a moment, so that Liu Ping would no longer be able to escape so easily.

For that reason, she was in no rush to attack and instead asked, “What don’t you understand?”