The gray-robed young man, convinced that his sneak attack was a success, flashed a sinister smirk. But just as his right hand, shrouded in black energy, was within an inch of Ming Qi's body, Ming Qi suddenly moved, nimbly stepping aside. While increasing the distance, he clenched his fists and struck out!
The wolf fist transforming into a finger is a desperate, last-ditch attack in the Wolf Fist martial arts, with terrifying destructive power.
The gray-robed young man clearly hadn't anticipated this sudden change. Seeing Ming Qi dodge, he hesitated for a moment, his smirk fading. He attempted to withdraw his right hand, which had been aimed at Ming Qi.
But Ming Qi wouldn't let him succeed. His fists flashed, striking directly at his five fingers.
The presence of a mortal on the Cliff of Broken Souls was inherently unreasonable, and Ming Qi naturally took precautions.
So, the moment the gray-robed youth attacked, the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations had already made Ming Qi understand everything. Although he didn't know how the man had completely concealed his presence, Ming Qi firmly grasped the fleeting spiritual energy fluctuation and immediately counterattacked.
The gray-robed youth's strength was not strong, not even reaching the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, so he ultimately failed to dodge Ming Qi's fierce punches.
Crack!
The fists collided with the five fingers without hesitation, and the sound of bones shattering instantly echoed from the fingers, which were once shrouded in black energy.
Enduring the excruciating pain, the gray-robed youth, startled and unable to care for anything else, began to retreat.
However, after only a few steps, his body abruptly stopped, and he did not retreat.
Behind him was a cliff. The point where the ridges met was originally the edge of the cliff top. Although open, the area was not large. The gray-robed youth had just come from the other side of the ridge, and his back was facing the cliff.
"Master, please spare me. I merely wished to test your skill."
The gray-robed youth's expression changed rapidly, becoming limp and pleading for mercy.
"Oh? Test?"
Ming Qi sneered, and with a flick of his right hand, a blood-red spear appeared in his hand.
"Yes, yes. Please forgive me for any offense I've committed. I'll take you to see the ancestor."
The gray-robed youth hastily admitted his fault, appearing to be sincerely repentant.
"Ancestor?"
Ming Qi sneered repeatedly. "I assume you're the so-called ancestor!"
By this point, Ming Qi had already guessed 70% of the truth: this guy was playing tricks.
The gray-robed youth's expression changed slightly upon hearing Ming Qi's words, but he quickly recovered. "You're such a joke! With my limited abilities, how dare I call myself an ancestor..."
Ding, ding, ding—
As he spoke, three subtle sounds echoed from the ground. Ming Qi's mind stirred, and he immediately leaped back a few steps.
Sure enough, the moment Ming Qi leaped, three clusters of pale green flames suddenly erupted in front of him. The flames sizzled as they burned the ground, instantly transforming it into a charred black.
"Such a powerful demonic poison!"
Ming Qi shouted coldly, shaking his spear, and a stream of bullets shot out, piercing the gray-robed youth's chest.
With such vicious intentions, this man must not be spared.
With this in mind, Ming Qi no longer held back and thrust his spear forward, only to see the gray-robed youth's body suddenly sway, and this time, he slipped right under Ming Qi's spear.
After dodging Ming Qi's spear, the gray-robed youth immediately turned and fled.
"Want to escape?"
Ming Qi sneered. "With your strength below the Ninth Level of the Acquired Realm, you thought you could escape him? You're just dreaming!"
His footsteps shifted, unleashing the Taixu Nine Steps. Ming Qi was as swift as a ghost, his spear swift as a dragon, instantly blocking the gray-clothed youth's path.
Bang!
Ming Qi's attacks were incredibly fast. The gray-clothed youth paused briefly before being stabbed by Ming Qi's spear.
However, the gray-clothed youth struck by Ming Qi's spear remained unharmed. He rolled away like a rolling gourd, and at an incredible speed.
Ming Qi was somewhat surprised that his spear couldn't break his defense.
He knew the power of his spear. Let alone a person at the Eighth Level of the Acquired Realm, even one at the peak of the Ninth Level would be wounded and bleed unless they possessed a spiritual weapon-level protective magical weapon.
But the man before him didn't!
Swish, swish, swish!
Countless thoughts raced through Ming Qi's mind, but his feet remained steady, stabbing and stabbing the gray-robed youth as he rolled on the ground.
Bang, bang, bang!
Ming Qi's spear was fast, and the gray-robed youth couldn't dodge, so he was naturally hit by several shots. But even so, he was just like a gourd being poked and prodded by Ming Qi, unable to sustain any damage.
At this point, Ming Qi finally realized something.
The reason he couldn't break the gray-robed youth's defense wasn't because of his own lack of strength, but because of the gray robe he wore! The problem lay in that gray robe!
This seemingly insignificant gray robe not only completely concealed his presence but also offered exceptionally strong protection!
Realizing this, Ming Qi's attacks immediately became more targeted.
Head, arms, feet—anywhere not covered by the robe, Ming Qi's spear struck without fail.
Sure enough, seeing Ming Qi shift his attack position, fear finally crossed the gray-clothed youth's face.
Whoosh!
Ming Qi's spear once again aimed accurately at the gray-clothed youth's forehead.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me. I know a huge secret!"
Seeing no hope of escape, the gray-clothed youth simply prostrated himself on the ground and begged for mercy.
Ming Qi placed the tip of his spear between the gray-clothed youth's eyebrows and said coldly, "What secret? Tell me. If I catch even a sliver of falsehood, I'll pierce your head!"
"Yes, yes!"
The gray-clothed youth nodded repeatedly.
"Hundreds of miles from this Soul-Breaking Cliff, there's a hidden cave. Inside grows a thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine. You should know about this thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine..."
"I know about the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine!"
Ming Qi interrupted.
Ming Qi naturally knew about this Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine. Although he had never seen it, he had information about it in his memories. Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine must be over ten thousand years old and can only be found in cold and gloomy places.
The Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine is a rare treasure of heaven and earth. It not only nourishes and repairs the soul, but also stimulates the potential of the body. If one receives the nourishment and harmony of the Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine during the breakthrough, they will surely reach unimaginable heights.
Of course, the Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine is not something that can be easily harvested. Its rarity aside, the more important point is that as an extremely rare, ten thousand year old treasure, it is inevitably guarded by powerful demonic beasts. Anyone seeking to obtain this treasure will be met with a fierce counterattack from the guardian demonic beasts.
As soon as this person said this, Ming Qi had a good idea of what he was thinking.
His story was most likely false. Even if it were true, it was clearly a trap, designed to lure him to a rare and precious herb guarded by a powerful innate demonic beast, and then quietly lure the beast out.
What a scheme!
"You want to use the demonic beast to kill me?"
"No, no, no, listen to me."
Sweat beads appeared on the gray-clothed young man's forehead. "Although the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine is guarded by a powerful demonic beast, that demonic beast is very strange. It spends most of its time dormant and rarely awakens. If it weren't for its instinctive sense of the demonic path, I would have taken the herb long ago."
"What do you mean?"
Ming Qi was a little confused, but he didn't believe it. He just wanted to see how far this guy could go with his fabrications.
The gray-robed youth chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "You've seen, sir, that I cultivate the demonic path. I possess an unconcealable demonic aura. The moment I approach, the demonic beast will sense it immediately."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Ming Qi frowned. He knew the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine was precious. If what this guy said was true, then it was truly necessary to take the risk.
"Yes, I've tried to go there many times, but in many cases, I've been sensed as soon as I approached within a hundred miles. If the demonic beast hadn't been reluctant to leave its lair, I'm afraid I would have died long ago."
The gray-robed youth spoke with a lingering fear.
Ming Qi sneered, "Since you know the preciousness of this ten-thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine, how could others not know it? You're giving it away for free?"
Seeing Ming Qi still unconvinced, the gray-clothed young man said anxiously, "Because the cave is underground, and the only access is along this ridge. Who knows when a cultivator might visit this place? He's probably just passing through. Why would he search it so carefully?"
Ming Qi thought for a moment, and it made some sense. He said, "Come on, you lead the way. If what you say is true, you can leave on your own when you reach the danger zone."
"Are you serious?"
The gray-clothed young man's face lit up. He quickly stood up, turned, and stepped onto the ridge.
The gray-clothed young man wasn't as fast as Ming Qi, so Ming Qi wasn't worried he'd escape. So, after seeing him slashing the ridge, he followed.
The ridge wasn't long. It wasn't long. After a while, they crossed it and, after several twists and turns, arrived at a cave.
The cave contained simple tables and chairs, clearly a place for people to live. However, what infuriated Ming Qi was a wooden cage placed to the side. Inside, locked was a naked young woman.
The girl's hands were bound to the top of the cage, and her legs were tied to either side with ropes at her ankles. She was completely naked, and her body was exposed in a dramatic pose.
More importantly, despite such torture, the girl hadn't fainted. As Ming Qi followed the gray-clad young man into the cave, her eyes, which had lost much of their luster, fluttered weakly for a few moments before closing tightly.
It was already winter, and the weather was beginning to turn cold. The girl shivered in the exposed air.
"Is this your masterpiece?"
Ming Qi asked, pointing his spear at the cage in the distance.
"Um." A rare flicker of shyness crossed the gray-robed young man's face. "My major is the art of collecting and replenishing energy."
"So all the missing girls from the nearby villages died at your hands?"
"This..."
The gray-robed young man immediately sensed something was wrong with Ming Qi's tone.
After a pause, he finally spoke, "It's just a demon, that's all."
Ming Qi didn't pursue the matter further, instead shifting the focus to the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine.
"How can we find the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine?"