At this very moment, Yu Ci's breath carried the scent of blood, mingling with the vital energy flowing through his organs, creating a frictional heat with every inhalation and exhalation. It felt as though his very limbs and bones were on the brink of combustion.

The stimulation of blood drove one to madness, yet it also seemed to bestow infinite strength.

Fu Long, engaged in fierce combat, roared like thunder, his muscles threatening to burst through his clothes. Every movement he made was accompanied by the surge of True Sha, burning like fire, scorching the air, and causing astonishing damage. The shockwaves from his attacks were relentless, the ground cracked, vegetation was flattened, and the entire mountain seemed to tremble.

On any other day, Yu Ci would have been torn apart by such a formidable onslaught. But now, he wielded the Pseudo Primordial Qi to drive the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent, weaving through the torrent of True Sha and creating a space of his own. At times, a single thrust of his sword was enough to thwart Fu Long's True Sha. His sword aura was not only equally lethal but also more intricate, demonstrating a better grasp of timing than Fu Long.

Yu Ci had never imagined he could reach such a level, and he could distinctly sense that he could do even better!

His vital energy was boiling within him, steaming every inch of his muscles and bones, extracting strength from within, and then merging it back into his vital energy for further combustion. Yu Ci's body had become a furnace, with the temperature at its core rapidly escalating. Power, violent power, was being continuously extracted in this manner for his use.

As the temperature rose, the power amplified at an increasing pace, and the battle became more intense. The surrounding blood mist grew denser. Suddenly, both combatants let out a fierce howl, escalating the battle to a new level. This was no longer a fight to the death but a clash where both parties had completely abandoned their defenses, using the most direct and brutal methods to unleash their infinite power.

A punch landed in Yu Ci's chest, while Fu Long's palm was shredded by sword energy, resulting in a spray of blood.

The force of the punch sent Yu Ci flying backwards. Fu Long, holding up his half-remaining right hand, stood dazed for a moment before letting out a loud roar and charging towards Yu Ci. With his charge, the True Sha stirred in all directions, forming images of ferocious Birds of Prey in the air distorted by the True Sha. Each appearance caused a great disturbance that shook the mountain.

Yu Ci barely managed to flip himself up, feeling a tightness in his chest that made it difficult to breathe. Yet, the energy filling his body showed no signs of diminishing. As he saw Fu Long charging towards him, he was about to meet the attack with his sword when his body suddenly shook.

At this moment, the furnace within him was no longer satisfied with the energy supply from his physical body alone; it wanted to pull in the power of the Divine Soul. This caused a disturbance in his Divine Soul. Although other effects could be ignored, the "Iceberg" formed by a massive amount of information in his memory area also reacted to this disturbance.

Yu Ci suddenly froze. He couldn't comprehend the information that flashed through his mind, but it marked the beginning of a thought process. It caused some of his consciousness to suddenly leap out of its previous state, akin to the vague cognition upon waking from a dream, gradually becoming clear.

Roaring with fury, the burly figure of Fu Long charged forth, looming like a small mountain. A moment ago, Yu Ci would have certainly met him with sword in hand, ready to fight to the death. But now, a vague thought in his mind flickered, somehow connecting with something in the outside world.

A black streak flashed, charging diagonally as if to pierce through the void. It was the Fish-Dragon "Shan Gu" that He Qing had lent him.

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As the Fish-Dragon approached, still fifty feet away, its mouth suddenly gaped wide, its crimson maw exposed to the air. The surrounding mist seemed to encounter a powerful vortex, twisted into a rotating fog stream, pouring into it. The Fish-Dragon's body, the size of a cup's mouth, suddenly swelled more than tenfold. For a moment, it was like a gigantic sky serpent, swelling to the size of a water barrel!

Yu Ci's train of thought became clearer. He twisted his body, skimming the ground to dodge Fu Long's direct charge.

Fu Long reacted swiftly, turning to follow Yu Ci. But at this moment, a shockwave swept through the air.

The Fish-Dragon was not a powerful creature, but it had a unique move called "Soul-devouring". This attack originated from the flesh, yet it targeted the Divine Soul, making it almost impossible to defend against. Yu Ci had nearly suffered a loss from this "little fellow" before. Now, it was Fu Long's turn to suffer, and the Fish-Dragon executing the move was the more powerful and superior Shan Gu.

With his Divine Soul under attack, Fu Long stiffened instinctively, turning to look in that direction. It was the most foolish reaction, yet it happened to the experienced Fu Long.

Foolishness can be fatal!

In that instant, the Xi Guang Sword separated from its form, transforming into a brilliant streak. With a piercing friction sound, it tore through the Protective True Evil, piercing diagonally into Fu Long's thick neck.

Fu Long's eyes widened, even as the Mirage Mountain Sword Qi instantly pierced his heart meridian, destroying his reaction center. Yet the True Sha, honed over two hundred years of diligent cultivation, still possessed the instinct to counterattack. However, at this moment, his Meridian Channels, tormented by the Sword Energy and God Slaying Sting for so long, finally reached their limit. The surging True Sha, far beyond his normal level, all backfired!

Under his brocade robe, his body violently convulsed. Blood splattered from Fu Long's seven orifices, and a lethal wound on his neck spewed a mist of blood, all signs of life dissipating.

The Xi Guang Sword hummed, splitting Fu Long's throat, drawing a trail of blood light.

Yu Ci stared at the flying blood drops, somewhat dazed. The sweet scent of blood infiltrated his nostrils, and the furnace within him suddenly became hot again. A powerful force drove him to swing his sword again, and Fu Long's bald head flew up. Blood sprayed again, and only then did his body fall.

Having done all this, Yu Ci's mind somewhat settled. He shook his head, somewhat puzzled, but this did not hinder his actions.

He scanned Fu Long's lifeless body twice, and quite naturally, Yu Ci removed two Storage Rings. One belonged to Fu Long, the other to Lake Sea Wanderer. He tossed the rings in his hand and only then did he remember something. He turned his head, looking across the chaotic mountain terrain, where Yan Chu was still curled up on the ground.

Yu Ci walked over, staring at the female cultivator, his breathing quite heavy.

Yan Chu was half-lying on the ground, struggling to lift her head, she also looked at Yu Ci, but quickly turned away, seemingly unable to bear the scorching intensity of Yu Ci's gaze.

At this time, Yu Ci casually dropped the Xi Guang Sword, one hand gripping her shoulder, pulling her upwards, while the other hand reached for her body. His approach was rough, tearing half of the collar of her outer garment, revealing a large swath of her fair chest.

As their skin made contact, both were burning hot.

Yan Chu still had her head tilted, hiding her face behind her hair, using her sensitive skin to sense his movements.

Yu Ci's movements suddenly halted. Yan Chu felt this change in rhythm, but before she could react, she felt a pain in her jaw as Yu Ci gripped it, forcing her head up.

The man in front of her showed no mercy, his fingers like iron clamps, gripping her cheeks, his fingertips almost sinking into her flesh. Yan Chu's pretty face twisted unavoidably, then her face was forcefully turned to face him, her eyes meeting Yu Ci's.

"Does he have a heavy taste?"

The female cultivator couldn't help but speculate, but in the next moment, she realized that all her previous thoughts were ludicrously wrong.

Because at this moment, she saw Yu Ci's eyes. His pupils seemed to disappear, replaced by flickering electric sparks and smoky clouds, as if a vast expanse of gloom had settled within them.

Being stared at by these eyes, the female cultivator's breath abruptly stopped, her body seemed to be bound by an invisible force. In an instant, the strange power in his eyes forcefully tore through her defenses, violently shaking her Divine Soul.

Yan Chu's delicate body trembled violently, she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

The strange phenomenon in his eyes lasted only for a moment. When Yan Chu struggled out of the terrible situation, what she saw again were a pair of bright but still normal eyes, still burning with fire.

Yan Chu no longer had the energy to think about anything else. The impact just now was as if she had been struck by a serious illness.

At this moment, Yu Ci used a technique, his strength surged into her throat, pushing upwards, forcing her to stick her tongue out.

"What's going on?"

*********