Shi Jiu didn't even get a clear look at what it was, because that gleam was simply too fast.
In a flash, Shi Jiu instinctively tilted his head back, then performed a common martial arts move known as a "donkey roll," barely managing to dodge that gleam.
Shi Jiu scrambled to his feet, rolling and crawling behind a large tree nearby, then, without stopping, he raised his hand and cast two Ice Cone spells.
One ice cone directly pierced the "younger brother" Cultivator's neck, while the other stabbed straight into the man's heart.
At this moment, the "younger brother" Cultivator's eyes, which had still held a faint spark of life, now completely lost their light. It seemed the gleam he had spat out at the end was the culmination of his last remaining hope for a counter-kill.
At this moment, the blood hole in his neck, pierced by Shi Jiu, and the wounds on his body that had stopped bleeding due to the Medicinal Pill he had consumed earlier, could no longer be controlled. Streams of blood gushed out as if his life depended on it.
His eyes, still filled with unwillingness, stared fixedly at Shi Jiu, flashing with various complex emotions: unwillingness, anger, and relief. It seemed a thousand words couldn't express his inner feelings.
The "younger brother" Cultivator, due to pain, intermittently let out a gurgling sound, as if cursing Shi Jiu for being so sure of victory yet acting like a turtle, afraid to get closer to him.
If Shi Jiu had been any closer to him, he definitely wouldn't have been able to dodge the hidden weapon shot from his mouth.
He had relied on this move to escape from desperate situations several times. His opponents, believing themselves to be certain of victory, were ultimately killed by his silent and imperceptible attack.
Instead, he ultimately survived and Cultivated step by step to his current level.
Even his "big brother," whom he followed loyally, didn't know about his move of spitting out a gleam. He hadn't told anyone, because it was his secret technique for self-preservation and counter-killing.
Yet, his previously unfailing, desperate counterattack, a killing move, was unexpectedly broken today by this timid, mouse-like fellow in front of him.
Clearly, it was two brothers against one; clearly, everyone was at the Qi Refining seventh level; clearly, this kid didn't even have a decent Magical Artifact; clearly, the two of them had been tracking this kid all along; clearly...
With so many "clearlys," why was he instead ambushed silently and imperceptibly by this kid, and with a single strike, impaled by a pile of talismans, leaving him severely wounded and unable to fight before he could even display his full abilities?
His own big brother had even used a secret method during the Qi Refinement Stage to Cultivate the Divine Sense that only a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator could possess, yet he hadn't noticed when or how this kid had set the trap.
Now seeing this kid return alone, he figured his big brother must already be waiting for him underground.
It was a pity that he and his big brother, who had roamed the market area, relying on numerous market brokers like Ma Er to secretly ambush other low-level Cultivators and amass wealth for so many years, had finally hit a snag.
However, this one kick sent both brothers to meet the King of Hell. This was probably the Karma retribution spoken of by Buddhists.
But he could no longer dwell on any more thoughts, as his consciousness was already gradually blurring.
Laughably, the "younger brother" Cultivator's last thought before dying was none other than, "Big brother's Divine Sense, which he Cultivated recently and boasted about so much, failed on its first real combat test, huh? Hehehehehe....."
Looking back at Shi Jiu's side, he barely managed to dodge the gleam spat out by the enemy because of the distance and his preparedness.
If he had been a bit more careless, or a bit closer, it might not have been someone else who died, but himself.
Shi Jiu glanced once more at the enemy, who was undoubtedly dead, and a wave of lingering fear welled up in his heart.
He raised his left hand and, from a distance, continuously unleashed seven or eight Fireball spells at the "younger brother" Cultivator until a deep pit was burned into the ground, and even the surrounding stones were shattered and melted, only then did he feel at ease.
Indeed, when venturing out, one must not underestimate any Cultivator. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Just like these two Cultivators, who were also at the Qi Refining seventh level, it was precisely because they underestimated him that they met the end of their Dao.
And he himself almost relaxed his guard at the end, nearly getting counter-killed by the dying enemy.
After this incident, Shi Jiu came to a conclusion: in the future, when encountering danger and enemies, he must run if he can, and firmly adhere to the principle of minimizing conflict, because Cultivators other than himself were truly too terrifying.
He gently exhaled a breath of stale air, then took out a bottle of Spirit Medicine juice from his Storage Pouch and took a few gulps. After all, fighting in this dense poisonous miasma for so long, his body had become somewhat uncomfortable, and he had to quickly clean up the mess and leave.
This was to prevent any potential subsequent enemies from pursuing him, or passing Cultivators from suddenly deciding to conflict with him, which would be troublesome. Although such a possibility was indeed small, he still had to guard against it.
Then, Shi Jiu waved his hand, using his magic power to retrieve the "younger brother" Cultivator's Storage Pouch, which had dropped midway due to the sneak attack. He then went to the spot where the "big brother" Cultivator had just been incinerated to confirm if all traces were completely gone.
He casually found a large pit to bury the remaining traces of the two men's burning, then found some bushes and weeds to cover it, until all traces were erased. Only then did a hint of relief appear on his face.
After confirming that everything around him was normal, Shi Jiu formed a hand seal and rode the wind towards the Helian Family.
On the way back, no more enemies came to harass him, and Shi Jiu safely returned to the Helian Family.
It wasn't until Shi Jiu had drunk a pot of hot water and sat on his bed in the mountaintop cabin that he finally felt a sense of relief. Although he wasn't born into the Helian Family, and had only been there for a little over a year.
However, he had deep feelings for the small cabin where he had stayed the longest. Sitting on the small bed, it seemed even the Formula of Guiding the Stars within his body circulated much more smoothly.
Of course, Shi Jiu knew this was just his imagination, but the relaxed and pleasant mood was very real.
Shi Jiu could finally take the time to reflect on the gains and losses of this fierce battle.
Although he ultimately succeeded in eliminating two opponents, many of the intermediate processes could actually have been simpler, and he should have handled them better.