Chapter 170: Truly In Perfect Sync with Me!
"If my guess is correct, this should be the corpse of a peak seventh tier magical beast, on the verge of breaking through to the eighth tier… or perhaps it had already reached the eighth tier before it died," Mo Tianxing said grimly, his narrowed eyes fixed on the massive beast's carcass below, carefully sensing its residual energy.
However, Mo Tianxing's brow gradually furrowed. There was no magic core!
His senses failed to detect the dense crystallized energy that should have been inside the beast.
Impossible!
Mo Tianxing's expression darkened immediately. This was an eighth tier magical beast how could it lack a magic core?
Noticing Mo Tianxing's sudden change in demeanor, Gong Heng realized something was amiss. He quickly spread his own senses over the beast's body, only to reach the same conclusion. No core. His initial excitement faded into disappointment, leaving him uninterested.
"I'm taking this. It'll make a fine centerpiece for the Black Emperor Sect's next auction," Mo Tianxing said coldly. Magic core or not, he decided to take the corpse back with him first.
Gong Heng, who had been indifferent to the corpse moments before, suddenly narrowed his eyes. While he wasn't particularly interested in it, he couldn't let Mo Tianxing walk away with it so easily.
"Heh… That's not happening," Gong Heng sneered. "I found this first. It's mine."
Mo Tianxing's face darkened further, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Gong Heng, are you determined to stand in my way?"
Lu Bu: |)
Perfect… Fight, fight! That'll make it easier for me to sneak in and strike.
"Hehe… Let them fight. That way, we can swoop in and take it!"
Wait. Who just said my inner thoughts out loud?
Lu Bu raised an eyebrow and looked down to see Zi Yan rubbing her hands together in excitement, a mischievous glint in her eyes as if she couldn't wait for the action to begin.
As expected of you. We truly are in sync… Lu Bu grinned, his mood instantly improving.
Noticing his gaze, Zi Yan froze for a moment before hastily sitting up straight, her hands neatly folded in her lap, adopting the posture of a proper, well behaved young lady.
Lu Bu chuckled softly, ruffling her hair. "Little girl, once they start fighting, that Black Emperor Sect lackey is yours to deal with."
"Mhm, got it. Don't worry," Zi Yan replied obediently, inwardly relieved that Lu Bu hadn't seen her mischievous side.
Meanwhile, Mo Tianxing and Gong Heng continued their standoff.
"What do you mean, 'stand in your way'?" Gong Heng said, feigning ignorance. "I clearly found this first. Naturally, it's mine. Don't you understand the principle of 'first come, first served'?"
"You…" Mo Tianxing's anger flared, his face turning a deep shade of blue.
Seeing Mo Tianxing's pained expression, Gong Heng laughed heartily. While he truly had no interest in the beast carcass, watching Mo Tianxing squirm filled him with glee it was as refreshing as drinking a tall glass of ice water on a scorching summer day.
Mo Tianxing, of course, saw through Gong Heng's intentions. He also knew that there was a simple way to resolve this: swallow his pride, humble himself, and offer Gong Heng some compensation. But…
Why should he?
Giving in now would only embolden Gong Heng. Mo Tianxing could already picture him becoming increasingly brazen in the future.
Besides, from every angle, it wasn't worth it. This rotting carcass wasn't valuable enough to justify such a concession.
What to do?
Gong Heng, meanwhile, was enjoying himself. He knew that while Mo Tianxing was stronger than him, the latter wasn't foolish enough to risk an all out fight. Not here, at least.
Mo Tianxing was already embroiled in conflict with the Inner Academy. Adding injuries to his list of troubles, especially in a place like this ancient battlefield, would be a reckless gamble.
Confident in this reasoning, Gong Heng maintained his carefree demeanor, his gaze mocking. I bet you don't have the guts to attack me.
Mo Tianxing's face turned an unhealthy shade of green. Gong Heng's smugness enraged him, but his lips curled into a cold smile moments later.
If this ancient battlefield were just him and Elder Feng, Gong Heng might have been right. But Mo Tianxing had summoned his "Royal Guards" long before entering the battlefield.
With that, Mo Tianxing stomped his foot, causing the space around him to ripple slightly as his figure disappeared in an instant.
"What!?" Gong Heng's expression shifted. That lunatic actually dared to make the first move!?
He couldn't make sense of it, but with Mo Tianxing already attacking, there was no time to dwell on it. Gong Heng's eyes flashed with cold determination.
In the corner, Lu Bu and Zi Yan exchanged a glance and broke into grins. Hehe… They're finally fighting!
"Do we strike now?" Zi Yan whispered.
"Not yet. Let's watch them wear each other out first," Lu Bu replied, grinning. Sneak attacks were best timed for when the combatants were too consumed by the fight to notice anything else.
Boom!
A surge of yellow light erupted from Gong Heng's body, shooting into the sky like a towering pillar. His energy expanded violently, shaking the space around him.
In the distorted void, Gong Heng caught the faintest hint of spatial ripples and clenched his fist. His knuckles glowed with earthen light as he threw a powerful punch. A sharp yellow arc shot forward, slicing through the air with devastating force.
Bang!
A burst of silver light erupted as the space distorted further, revealing Mo Tianxing's figure.
Gong Heng didn't look pleased. Instead, his expression turned serious. Mo Tianxing's mastery of spatial manipulation was indeed formidable. If he hadn't been prepared, Mo Tianxing might have gained the upper hand.
"Looks like you haven't been slacking off," Mo Tianxing sneered.
"Of course not. Unlike you, I'm not the pampered leader of the Black Emperor Sect," Gong Heng retorted coldly. "If I were as indulgent as you, I'd probably have died in the arms of some woman by now."
Mo Tianxing's expression darkened. He didn't take Gong Heng's words as a compliment.
On the contrary, he and Gong Heng had clashed many times before. While Gong Heng couldn't beat him in a direct fight, the man always knew how to exploit the Black Emperor Sect as leverage, leaving Mo Tianxing with his hands tied.
"But Mo Tianxing," Gong Heng continued, smirking, "your attacks seem weaker than I remember. What's wrong? Spent all your strength on your little concubines?"
Mo Tianxing didn't respond. Instead, he reached into the void, pulling out a translucent spatial blade.
Gong Heng's expression turned grave. "Mo Tianxing, are you really going to make this a fight to the death?"
"Humph!" Mo Tianxing sneered. "I just feel like beating you senseless."
His voice dripped with venom. Old grudges mingled with new slights, pushing him over the edge.
"I've been wanting to put you in your place for a long time," he growled.
"Then come at me!" Gong Heng laughed angrily. While his star level was slightly lower than Mo Tianxing's, he wasn't someone who could be easily bullied.
Clenching his hand into a claw, he summoned a layer of golden light that coated his fingers. Razor sharp claws gleamed menacingly, exuding a chilling aura.
"Bring it on!" Mo Tianxing roared, swinging his spatial blade downward.
As the blade descended, Mo Tianxing's figure blurred into a shadow, vanishing once more.
Gong Heng's face remained stoic. Over the years, he had faced Mo Tianxing enough times to understand the man's patterns.
Without hesitation, Gong Heng pivoted sharply, his golden claws cutting through the air with blinding speed. A storm of slicing energy erupted, forming an impenetrable web that engulfed a patch of distorted space.
In the corner, Lu Bu and Zi Yan exchanged grins, eyes gleaming with mischief.
It's time.
(End of Chapter)
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