Heretic Apothecary Genius - Chapter 49
Chapter 49: Breakthrough, Kill
“Wh… wh… wh… why are you killing my entire family…” Sun Zhu roared in almost insanity. Blood tears were already flowing out of his eyes. He didn’t want the life of unrest, all he asked for was stability. He worked hard to do kind deeds in usual times, but in the end…
“That’s because you don’t know how precious this item is. Don’t mention a hundred nobodies of your Sun family, if there was really a need, even if it landed in the hands of those opinionated big family clans, it’s also worth it to kill thousands of people to get my hands on this item. Because only the dead can keep secrets. This item is too precious, I don’t want to be killed before I can submit it. If you know how precious this thing is, you would know, all of you need to die. Even a newborn cannot be spared, because someone will have the means to get some news. Only dead people tell no tales.” Yan Zhenfei said cockily. However, he swallowed two low-quality pills that he had saved for years and catalyzed them as soon as possible.
He was merely at the third level of the True Qi Realm. He’d killed more than a hundred people at one go and even battled Sun Zhu. If he hadn’t infiltrated secretly at the start and killed off most of the people, he really wouldn’t be able to do so this completely. It was detestable that when he’d just killed the month old baby that he actually didn’t realize there was a little girl in hiding. Otherwise, even if he wasn’t a true killer in the organization designated to completing missions, he wouldn’t have to cause such a huge stir when wiping out a family of merely more than a hundred people in such a remote village. Then he wouldn’t have to fight this Sun Zhu until now.
As such, Yan Zhenfei was also close to running dry right now, but he had to get his hands on this item. He wouldn’t tell anyone. Otherwise, they might kill him directly.
At present, he looked as if he was speaking conceitedly, but actually, he was also recovering. He just needed to recover twenty to thirty percent of his energy to be able to kill this Sun Zhu. Seeing that his guts were about to flow out, and he should be drained of his blood soon, at this rate, the circumstances were in his favor. Yan Zhenfei had a great plan. Dragging things out was to his advantage, and at this point, there was still some time to daybreak. In this remote village, he didn’t need to fear anything, either. After killing this fellow and getting the item, from then on, he…
“You… thud…” As Sun Zhu retreated and backed onto the steps in the courtyard, his footing staggered and he tripped, his body sitting backward. He propped himself up with the broken sword but could no longer stand back up.
“Haha, turns out you’re also dying, then there’s no need to say more…” Yan Zhenfei was immediately put at ease with one look. He was really afraid that this old fellow would retaliate before he died. After all, right now, he was more or less at level one of the True Qi Realm.
“Boom…” Just then, a person suddenly dropped from the sky behind Sun Zhu. As he fell too quickly, he directly broke through the roof behind Sun Zhu and landed below.
What’s happening? Yan Zhenfei stopped abruptly in his steps and lifted his head to look at the dark sky. He could see anything, why did something drop down all of a sudden.
“F*ck, damn it.” At that moment, Ren Jie’s extremely upset curses sounded from the room. Although it wasn’t too piteous, Ren Jie, who barely managed to remain standing after falling through the roof and landing on the table below, cursed angrily.
Ren Jie had heard the entire conversation between Sun Zhu and Yan Zhenfei earlier. Clearly, the smiley old man had discovered the situation here through his divine sense at the last minute. He’d brought Ren Jie here intentionally and even specially told Ren Jie that he wouldn’t interfere. If Ren Jie would, he could act on his own, and if he wouldn’t, he could just watch.
At present, the smiley old man was in the air looking down. He’d seen many incidents crueler than this. Given his current divine sense, if he spread it out completely, he would always be able to find all sorts of tragedies. Today, he wanted to let Ren Jie the rascal truly witness bloodshed and have a look at this world’s true colors. However, the intensity of Ren Jie’s reaction had still exceeded his imagination. In his opinion, the children of big family clans usually ought to be more aloof when faced with such situations. After all, they’d been influenced by their surroundings from a young age. Towards such killing, vying, mutual suspicion and deception, they weren’t too bothered either, but he didn’t expect Ren Jie to explode once he arrived.
“You were the one who said it earlier, wasn’t it? Only dead people tell no tales. Then you can prepare to die.” Ren Jie walked out of the room. He’d used his divine sense in the air earlier. The tragic state of the entire Sun family had been thoroughly imprinted in his mind. Amongst the more than a hundred people in the Sun family, most were powerless elderly and children and ordinary servants. Only slightly more than twenty were guards. The children of their servants and the children of the Sun family were more than a dozen. It could be seen that the Sun family really treated people well, even the children of their servants were allowed to live together. But right now, the adults, children, everyone was dead.
Whether it was in his previous life or this life, Ren Jie had never thought himself to be some hero or good man, and neither had he ever thought about these matters. He’d even felt it was pretty good to be a dandy young master in the Ren family right now, but he was still upright and had his own bottom line.
“Haha, a rascal in the Body Refinement Realm actually has the audacity to say these words…” Although Yan Zhenfei couldn’t get a clear look at Ren Jie, he could tell that he was someone in the Body Refinement Realm and instantly found it utterly laughable.
Towards such a jerk and inhumane fellow, Ren Jie did not want to waste any extra words on him. In the next moment, he used the strength in his legs and charged out.
It was merely bursting out using the energy in his body. Ren Jie was close to the maximum speed of the Body Refinement Realm. Thus, in seconds, he was right in front of Yan Zhenfei.
“Seeking death.” Although the True Qi in his body had been expended, he was a being in the True Qi Realm, after all. When he saw a rascal in the Body Refinement Realm actually conceitedly charge forward head-on, Yan Zhenfei casually lifted his long sword. The True Qi in his body surged and promptly adhered to his long sword, radiating a layer of faint light. Speed and strength were totally unmatchable by the usual Body Refinement Realm, this was a True Qi Realm being. From level three, one would be able to circulate the True Qi to his weapon and increase the attack power of the weapon, and even his speed and strength would surpass that of a Body Refinement Realm by a long stretch.
It was really Qi that far surpassed the Body Refinement Realm in essence. One was like a grain of iron sand, while the other was like fine steel, their strength and power were vastly different.
Ren Jie looked like he was charging fiercely, but when he came to the front of Yan Zhenfei and was about to be struck by his long sword, he suddenly moved aside, his steps changed mysteriously, and his body slanted as it rolled horizontally, alarmingly sticking to the long sword and avoiding it.
However, Ren Jie’s hands had already formed the All-Kill Array and went straight for Yan Zhenfei’s throat. The All-Kill Array was no joke. Although Ren Jie wasn’t yet good enough to be the ultimate-grade in combat, to normal people, he was already there. His subtlety and strength immediately showed right now.
“Oh no!” Yan Zhenfei never would’ve expected that this rascal in the Body Refinement Realm to have advanced combat skills. His own strongest sword technique was merely a middle-grade combat skill. This subtlety was a hundred times better than his own. In a critical moment, he raised his arm to protect his throat.
“Zap… ah…” Ren Jie directly gripped Yan Zhenfei’s arm and ripped it violently, tearing out a piece of flesh from his arm. It was so painful that Yan Zhenfei shrieked and his long sword spiraled, slashing at Ren Jie while he moved back.
Right now, at his best, Yan Zhenfei could use the power of level one to two of the True Qi Realm. Whereas the strength of Ren Jie’s Qi, the power in his body was at the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm. Although his cultivation was only at the fourth level of the Body Refinement Realm, as he still had the gravity force from the 288 vigor rings from the Jade Emperor Refinement Technique, it was being suppressed. However, the power in his body was still there, the strength of his Qi could also match up to an average person in the eighth level of the Body Refinement Realm.
Most importantly, the All-Kill Array that Ren Jie used was totally ingenious. He didn’t have to fight recklessly and could overwhelm Yan Zhenfei. All-Kill Array, it locked down all eight directions and would definitely kill the opponent. Every strike hit a vital part, every strike aimed to kill.
From every angle, it was so fine that it left one in astonishment and disbelief. Regardless of how Yan Zhenfei changed, Ren Jie’s changes would always be able to threaten him.
This… this definitely wasn’t an average combat skill. Superior-grade… no, this was most likely an ultimate-grade combat skill.
Detestable. In this remote village, how was it possible for a rascal in the Body Refinement Realm to know an ultimate-grade combat skill? How could someone in the Body Refinement Realm master an ultimate-grade combat skill…
Yan Zhenfei was in disbelief. Because ultimate-grade combat skills were something that even people who’d perfected the True Qi Realm could not master. People who’d achieved the Divine Power Realm also wanted to master ultimate-grade combat skills to be used together with divine power and dharma spells.
Right now, a rascal in the Body Refinement Realm knew an ultimate-grade combat skill, and it was the kind that he had totally understood, totally using it with ease instead of putting up a show. What the hell was this?
No, this was the greatest opportunity in his life. If he wanted to rise to the top in one step, it would have to rely on this. He must not let this rascal ruin it. However, his middle-grade sword techniques were beneath this ultimate-grade combat skill. He had flaws everywhere and he was forced to close contact combat, there was totally no way of creating distance and having any effects.
“Ka…” Just then, Ren Jie avoided his sword again and directly grabbed on his shoulders.
“Ah!” Yan Zhenfei suddenly let go of the long sword in his hands. Both of his hands abruptly engaged with Ren Jie’s hands, and in the middle of that, he also grabbed Ren Jie’s shoulders.
“Oh no!” Ren Jie didn’t have much experience in real combat but also sensed that something was wrong. This Yan Zhenfei clearly wanted to put up a fight. He gripped him to stop him from using the power of his All-Kill Array and ultimate-grade combat skill, but the current movement of his body wasn’t quite right.
Just then, Ren Jie saw that apart from holding him, Yan Zhenfei’s body suddenly lowered, like he was bowing.
Ren Jie reacted very quickly and directly tilted his head to the side. A ray shot out of Yan Zhenfei’s hair, its speed startlingly fast. Clearly, it was a special mechanism. Fortunately, Ren Jie had dodged in time and the light swept past his temples. Though it drew a bloody cut, it didn’t hit him directly.
“Haha, rascal, your reaction is very fast, but you’re doomed. A rascal in the Body Refinement Realm actually has ultimate-grade combat skills. It seems like I’m really in luck today. A Body Refinement Realm being wants to compete with a person who has True Qi. You still have a long way to go. Feeling the pain, aren’t you…” Yan Zhenfei’s hands were entangled with Ren Jie’s, holding his shoulder blades with a death grip like he wanted to penetrate them.
He clearly wanted to make use of his True Qi to strengthen his body and make use of the intensity of his True Qi Realm to rip Ren Jie apart. His hands were already digging into Ren Jie’s flesh.
“Honestly speaking, it’s too easy. You’ve yet to reach the sixth level and above of the True Qi Realm, so you do not have a shield for yourself, do you!” Ren Jie used strength in his hands too. The two people’s hands were entangled, both gripping the other’s shoulders, both wanting to twist the other’s arms into sections and rip the person apart. Pain, it was a little painful, but this pain, compared to the pressure from cultivating the Jade Emperor Refinement Technique was too far apart. One was like a pain that came from one’s soul, while the other was fleshly pain.
Damn it, how could this be. Yan Zhenfei didn’t expect this rascal to actually be so ferocious. His hands were already in his flesh and grabbing his bones, but he could still use strength.
On the contrary, he was in so much pain that he was about to collapse. This rascal was so young, how could he be so fierce. He himself had undergone special training, how could he…
“Bam, bam, bam…” The two people were grabbing each other at their upper bodies while their legs continuously moved. However, Ren Jie was clearly more skilled than Yan Zhenfei here. After several changes and attacks, Yan Zhenfei was already spitting blood from being knocked into by Ren Jie’s knees.
“Ah, True Qi into the body, break him!” Yan Zhenfei didn’t expect this fellow to be so fierce and fight so ruthlessly, his body was also abnormally tough. He felt that he was going to break down first, so he suddenly pushed a surge of True Qi in his own body forcefully into Ren Jie’s. He wanted to shatter the Qi in his body, shatter his meridians and see how he would continue fighting him. The Qi of Body Refinement Realm was grains of sand, while that of the True Qi Realm was fine steel. Once it pushed in, he would be a goner.
“Boom!” When Yan Zhenfei’s True Qi rushed into his body, Ren Jie instantly felt like he had been hit by a powerful current of liquid rock. If it were the average person’s body, their meridians would have been destroyed at once. However, the meridians in Ren Jie’s body had undergone the repeated refinement of the Jade Emperor Refinement Technique, it was tough beyond imagination.
However, it still swept through like a flood of magma. The Jade Emperor Chant in Ren Jie’s body faced a huge pressure and challenge at this moment.
“Ah!” However, even at this moment, Ren Jie did not let go of the fellow’s arms. Earlier on, he managed to grab him because his combat skills weren’t as good as his own. Right now, if he’d let go of him, in the situation where he had his True Qi wreaking havoc in his body and stopping him from performing, then he would be doomed. At this moment, Ren Jie’s mind would not consider the existence of the smiley old man. He also believed that the smiley old man wouldn’t strike when he had said so. That feeling could not be wrong, he had to bear the consequences when he chose to come down here.
He was still using strength, forcefully circulating the Jade Emperor Refinement Technique. At present, Ren Jie’s body went through the suffering of having pressure inside and outside.
“Bam… bam…” Persevere, persevere in circulating the Jade Emperor Chant to its limit. With pressure in both inside and outside, at the critical moment, the 288 chains formed by Qi clouds in Ren Jie’s body shattered instantly.
“Boom!” Breakthrough, the Jade Emperor Chant broke through the fourth level of the refinement technique into the fifth. And his Qi instantly reached a strength that only those at the perfected Body Refinement Realm could achieve. The powerful explosion pushed the strain of True Qi that Yan Zhenfei had forced into Ren Jie’s body out directly.
“Ah, crack… crack…” Yan Zhenfei didn’t expect that just when Ren Jie looked like he could no longer hold out, he suddenly seemed to become another person. He watched as Ren Jie broke his arms into sections, and his hands that were gripping Ren Jie’s shoulders also fell weakly.
“Bam!” Without the slightest hesitation, the moment Ren Jie’s fist was pulled out, he struck directly on Yan Zhenfei’s heart and killed him.