Ming Qi was shocked. Is this what they call a mental attack?
The mental attacks of acquired cultivators are extremely weak and require external aid. They are simply not as free-flowing as those of innate masters, who can inflict considerable damage with a single thought.
Ming Qi knew the origin of the black smoke released by the long-haired young man. It was a powder refined from the herb known as the Soul-Snatching Grass. This powder, called Soul-Snatching Powder, could be manipulated to attach mental power to it and used as an offensive tool.
Ming Qi immediately dodged the Soul-Snatching Powder, but it was still affected, slowing him down a beat.
The giant wolf head unleashed by the Wolf Fist's ultimate technique failed to capture the long-haired young man, but instead blasted the black smoke into the air, sending it flying everywhere.
Dodging the fierce wolf fist, the long-haired young man watched as Ming Qi's punch dispersed the condensed Soul-Snatching Powder, and a sneer curled across his lips. He paused briefly, shook his hands across his chest, and several more cold stars flew out.
Swish!
Ming Qi's punch dispersed the Soul Powder, but instead of achieving its intended effect, it only exacerbated its power, instantly increasing the impact.
His dodge speed slowed, and the arm he pulled back was cut by the opponent's sharp weapon.
Blood began to drip from the wound.
Ming Qi hadn't expected to be at a disadvantage in such a direct encounter. He immediately drew his Wind-Reverse Longsword and leaped back a few steps, maintaining a certain distance from the long-haired youth.
Although the spiritual attacks of a post-natal cultivator were significantly weaker than physical attacks, they offered the advantage of surprise and distance. If not properly managed, they could easily be completely contained.
A post-natal cultivator specializing in spiritual cultivation could inflict damage without direct contact.
Sword in hand, blood trickled down his sleeve.
Ming Qi maintained a calm expression, yet he sensed that the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map, which had only been gently pulsating, suddenly became violent, as if summoned by some unknown force.
Countless pieces of information flashed through Ming Qi's mind, from his initial arrival in Qinglong Town to the events he had encountered along the way.
Rotting corpses, stains of corrupted blood, a space plagued by spirits.
Scenes, seemingly unrelated, now all surfaced in Ming Qi's mind.
He discovered that the single most frequent word was blood.
Yes, blood.
At the thought of blood, he immediately felt an unprecedented surge of blood energy surge from the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map, a crimson, fervent heat instantly coursing through his body.
Stop the bleeding?
A thought arose, and he felt the blood in his arm no longer flowing uncontrollably, but rapidly gathering!
This!
In a trance, Ming Qi's mind swam, and three clear, large characters emerged: Blood Control Technique!
Indeed, this ability to manipulate blood at will is the art of blood control.
The human body's qi and blood are the very foundation of a cultivator. Even the purest, most ordinary mortal blood holds immense power, yet this power is difficult to harness and tame. While cultivators everywhere are intrigued by the mysterious power of blood, few dare to truly attempt to tame it.
On the other hand, using blood to gain power is ultimately a treacherous path. Any minor misstep could lead to irreparable destruction.
It can be said that the so-called blood control art has far more disadvantages than advantages.
Blood control is a desire for the power of blood.
Ming Qi, at this moment, truly felt this strange feeling.
He even discovered that the bloodstains he had just considered so rotten and unsightly no longer seemed so offensive, and he even felt an indescribable feeling.
The reason was simple: he could control them!
Swish!
Ming Qi didn't hesitate, knowing full well that he couldn't hesitate now.
With a thrust of his longsword, he instantly gathered all the corrupted blood energy within a fifty-meter radius.
The countless strands of blood energy coalesced into a single force, merging into the longsword.
The sword's edge then turned blood-red, and a bright red gleam flashed in his eyes.
A person's combat effectiveness is limited by their own cultivation. Even though Ming Qi possessed an exceptional foundation, he was still only at the eighth level of the Acquired Realm, and he was facing a ninth-level cultivator whose primary focus was spiritual cultivation.
While his Wolf Fist secrets were brutal and deadly, his opponent possessed footwork comparable to the Nine Steps of the Great Void.
Perhaps the long-haired youth's footwork couldn't match Ming Qi's, but with the powerful spiritual support, he certainly held a significant advantage.
Ming Qi's action clearly surprised the middle-aged man across from him.
"Manipulating blood and energy is quite unique. Duanfeng, don't kill this brat; leave him alive."
The long-haired young man, Duanfeng, nodded, his hands constantly scattering strange powders or launching hidden weapons from tricky angles.
Noticing Mingqi's manipulation of blood and energy, the middle-aged man didn't take action, but simply stood there and watched.
Perhaps a powerful warrior with innate strength like him really didn't need to intervene in this battle.
Ziyuan, on her own, was fighting alone against six people, including Ziyue. Although her movements and combat were extremely skillful, far different from the last time Mingqi saw her, she was still struggling and clearly at a disadvantage. Defeat was only a matter of time.
After all, Ziyue also possessed the strength of the Ninth Level of the Acquired Realm.
Mingqi naturally had to focus all his energy on Duanfeng. Fortunately, after becoming familiar with his attack methods, he also realized that Duanfeng's current display was a testament to his physical fragility.
Ming Qi was confident that if he got close, he could knock him down in a single breath.
With a flick of his longsword, Ming Qi's eyes instantly glowed with blood, and his footsteps left behind several blood-red afterimages.
Manipulating blood energy was a short-term internal grafting of external forces. With countless corpses surrounding him, while the blood energy wasn't pure, its power was still there. This presented Ming Qi with a perfect battlefield.
Ming Qi moved, instantly activating his spiritual energy shield to shield him with all his might.
Once Duan Feng saw Ming Qi's movements, he understood what was happening and immediately retreated, his hands blasting out puffs of smoke, mingling with countless unidentified sharp weapons.
Amidst the whistling wind, Ming Qi's speed was noticeably faster than before.
After a few leaps, Ming Qi's footsteps suddenly became strange, seemingly slow, and each step left a distinct blood-red afterimage.
As Ming Qi's footsteps followed, a blood-red afterimage formed behind him.
It didn't seem fast, but it was clearly an illusion!
Although Duan Feng didn't know why, he could clearly sense that his enemy's speed was unprecedentedly fast, reaching extreme speed!
Whoosh!
As the figures moved swiftly, the gap between them rapidly narrowed.
As Ming Qi closed in on Duan Feng, he continuously swung his sword, sending streams of Heavenly Official Sword Qi soaring out. The smoke and sharp weapons Duan Feng had fired fell to the ground and scattered.
Thanks to the protection of the spiritual shield, some of the agents carrying mental attacks that approached Ming Qi had no effect.
The distance was closing again.
Duan Feng's gloomy expression finally changed. He realized that even if he increased his speed to the maximum, he couldn't close the ever-shrinking gap!
Seeing Ming Qi about to charge, Duan Feng decisively gritted his teeth and let out a loud roar. Suddenly, the empty space around him distorted, and dozens of hideous ghosts appeared out of thin air, blocking Ming Qi's path.
As soon as the ghosts appeared, they immediately pounced at Ming Qi with their fangs and claws bared.
Forcefully channeling his spiritual power to draw ghosts from the void, Duan Feng was a cultivator of exceptional talent. If he could successfully reach the innate realm, he would surely cause a stir.
However, cultivators primarily cultivating the spiritual realm were severely deficient in combat effectiveness during the acquired stage, especially in their physical defenses, which were extremely fragile.
Seeing Duan Feng's desperate attempt to draw ghosts to block his path, Ming Qi's eyes gleamed with blood. With a flash of his body, he passed through the gaps between the ghosts with an unimaginable pace, his longsword stained blood red, radiating a bloody aura.
Duan Feng captured the ghost spirit, originally thinking it could hold Ming Qi off for a moment, buying him time. Unexpectedly, the other party dodged and passed through the ghost spirit's blockade.
"Blood Shadow Step!"
At that moment, the middle-aged man not far away finally recognized the footwork Ming Qi was using: it was a unique footwork that relied on the power of blood and qi.
He naturally wouldn't stand by and watch Duan Feng be killed. Seeing Ming Qi's sword about to strike, he raised his right hand, and a beam of golden light flew out, striking directly at Ming Qi's blade.
For a post-natal cultivator, fighting is ultimately based entirely on the physical body. Once they reach the innate realm, they ascend to a higher level, their blows rising from fist to flesh to a clash of vital energy.
At this moment, the middle-aged cultivator used his innate vital energy to block Ming Qi's thrust with the power of his post-natal flesh. It was a simple matter, far from expending vital energy to activate supernatural powers.
Ming Qi's sharp eyes caught sight of the middle-aged cultivator beside him attempting to stop him. He paused his sword momentarily, the blade trembling violently.
Seven streams of sword energy formed in a line, condensing in the air into the phantom of the White Tiger, the Celestial Official of the Western Constellations, and lunged again at Duan Feng, who attempted to dodge.
Ming Qi was determined to succeed in this attack!
"Hmm?"
The middle-aged cultivator knew Ming Qi could emit sword energy, but he hadn't anticipated its power. Therefore, he hadn't used his magical powers in his first attack. Now, it seemed he had no choice but to do so.
"Duan Feng, get out of the way!"
The middle-aged cultivator shouted coldly, his Yuan Qi surging through him, and a strange hook-shaped magical weapon emerged.
The strange hook was three feet long, with a sharp tip, split into two hooks on either side. At first glance, it resembled an ordinary arrow.