200: key

Fellow countryman?

Xiao Weiqing was startled.

The black-robed figure stepped past the Scorpion Yao and removed his hood, revealing a human face, but it was covered in mysterious purple patterns that looked quite eerie.

"A Daxia person? It seems we really are fellow countrymen."

Du Meng spoke, his voice low and grating.

"Who are you?"

Xiao Weiqing asked. He was clearly human, so why was he with the Yao Race, and as part of their group?

"The Yao God Cult?"

Xiao Weiqing's pupils constricted as he suddenly remembered.

The Yao God Cult was a group of fanatics who worshiped the Yao God. They believed the world should be ruled by the Yao Race and even transformed themselves into something neither human nor ghost. The patterns on Du Meng's face were signs of Yao-ification.

Du Meng gave a sinister smile. "The Yao God Cult? You could say that."

"For the sake of being fellow countrymen, hand over this Three-Star person to me, and I'll let you leave."

"Du Meng, don't forget your place. I want the Secret Key, and these two must die."

The leading Scorpion Yao clearly disagreed with Du Meng and had no intention of letting them go.

"Why don't you two discuss it first? We won't disturb you."

Xiao Weiqing pulled Potz back.

The leading Scorpion Yao's figure flashed, blocking their retreat.

Du Meng said, "Xie Sha, you catch that Three-Star person. Leave this one to me."

"Potz, be careful."

Potz swallowed hard, took out three seeds from his robe, and threw them onto the ground.

The seeds quickly burrowed into the ground. A moment later, three emerald-green vines grew from beneath the earth, surrounding him.

"Do it."

Du Meng shouted and charged at Xiao Weiqing.

Suddenly.

A wild wind rose, whipping up a sandstorm that roared at its center.

"Slash!"

A single horizontal sweep of the blade sent flames flying everywhere. Like the apocalypse, a massive rain of fire descended from the sky.

"Boom!"

Out of the nine Scorpion Yao, six were killed instantly. Without any resistance, they were burned to ashes.

The other three Third Realm Scorpion Yao burrowed into the desert, vanishing without a trace.

Whoosh...

Right then.

The sandstorm struck, swallowing Xiao Weiqing.

"What a pity,"

Du Meng said indifferently, standing at the center of the sandstorm.

Xiao Weiqing lifted his hand; it felt heavy, an effect of the sandstorm.

"Do you still want to resist?"

"Die."

With a wave of his hand.

Countless spikes condensed from the sand in the storm flew toward Xiao Weiqing.

Xiao Weiqing looked on with disdain and said, "Is that all?"

The next moment.

Boom!

A terrifying surge of energy erupted as Third Realm power exploded from within Xiao Weiqing.

"Flame Domain!"

A sea of fire rose in the center of the sandstorm, eroding it at a visible speed.

"What?"

Du Meng's eyes lost focus, filled with disbelief.

He had clearly just entered the Third Realm, yet his strength was no less than Du Meng's.

Jealousy and killing intent replaced the shock in Du Meng's eyes.

"Damn it, it must be a Level 6 Extraordinary Talent. How hateful! Why don't I have such an Extraordinary Talent?"

If he had such an Extraordinary Talent, how could he have fallen this far? He wouldn't have joined the Yao God Cult, wouldn't have suffered inhuman pain, and wouldn't have become neither human nor Yao.

"Slash!"

Within the Flame Domain.

Xiao Weiqing's figure appeared beside Du Meng like a ghost, his blade swinging down.

"Hmph!"

An arm fell.

Du Meng clutched his wound and retreated, but how could his speed match Xiao Weiqing's?

Xiao Weiqing leaped up and slashed again.

A direct downward strike.

Du Meng was sent flying back, the wound on his chest deep enough to see bone.

Inside the Flame Domain, Du Meng's black robe had been burned away. Even his Spiritual Qi coat couldn't resist the flames, revealing his ink-black skin.

"Your strength is nothing special. You gave up being a decent human just to become a half-Yao freak."

Suddenly.

Xiao Weiqing's steps faltered, and he frowned.

"Something's wrong."

He opened his palm.

His pupils shrank.

"When did this happen?"

Xiao Weiqing's palm was pitch black, with black threads creeping up his arm along his veins.

"Haha... did you think this was all I had?"

Du Meng stood up and took a bottle from his robe. A drop of black liquid flew out, carrying an evil aura, and entered Du Meng's mouth.

A violent energy suddenly exploded within him. His black body recovered rapidly, and the granulation tissue in his wounds twisted and began to heal.

Accompanied by a beast-like low growl, the patterns on Du Meng's face spread again until not a single patch of skin remained intact.

Xiao Weiqing's Mental Energy poured out, discovering countless tiny particles floating in the air.

These particles were constantly invading his body, suppressing his Spiritual Qi.

"Unpleasant, isn't it?"

"This is the venom of the Ink Scorpion Yao Race's Grand Elder, Yao Venerable Ran Jie."

"Flame Dragon!"

Boom!

The flames surged as the scarlet dragon swallowed Du Meng before he could even scream.

The world instantly became quiet.

On the other side.

Potz's three vines danced, constantly blocking Xie Sha's attacks.

However.

It was only a matter of time before the vines were broken through.

"Die!"

Xie Sha's tail suddenly lengthened, thrusting straight at Potz.

Potz waved his hand to block again, but to his surprise, the vines didn't move.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Three figures burst out from the ground. They were the three Scorpion Yao that had burrowed underground earlier, and they now held the roots of the vines in their hands.

Despair filled Potz's heart. He twisted his body instinctively, but Xie Sha's tail stinger still grazed his waist.

"Hand over the Secret Key, or I'll make you wish you were dead."

"In your dreams."

Potz collapsed to his knees, clutching his wound, but the toxins in his body were relentlessly invading him.

"Cut off his limbs."

The three Scorpion Yao behind him looked cruel as they walked toward Potz.

"Slash!"

A single horizontal sweep.

The three Scorpion Yao were instantly dismembered.

With black threads on his face, Xiao Weiqing walked over like a god of death.

Xie Sha was shocked, glancing at the charred corpse behind Xiao Weiqing.

Without any hesitation, he burrowed into the desert and fled.

After Xie Sha left.

The thousand flame blade fell from Xiao Weiqing's hand, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Xiao Weiqing, how are you?"

"You should leave quickly."

Hearing Xiao Weiqing's weak voice, Potz was filled with guilt.

"Go... that Scorpion Yao could come back at any time."

Seeing Xiao Weiqing covered in toxins, Potz seemed to make a decision.

A drop of emerald-green liquid condensed in his hand, carrying a refreshing fragrance, and he handed it to Xiao Weiqing.

With his other hand.

He took a box from his robe.

"This is one of the Secret Keys to open the temple. Hand it to Vinton for me."

"What about you?"

"There's only one drop of Green Lotus Jade Liquid," Potz said miserably.

Suddenly.

Swish!

A scorpion tail burst out from under the sand, thrusting straight at Xiao Weiqing's chest.

Snap!

A flaming hand grabbed the scorpion tail.

Sizzle!

A shrill scream echoed from beneath the desert.

"Come out!"

Xiao Weiqing pulled hard, dragging the Scorpion Yao out from under the sand—it was indeed Xie Sha, who had pretended to flee.

"I've been waiting for you!"

Grabbing the tail, he swung Xie Sha around and slammed him 180 degrees into the ground.

After slamming him several times, Xie Sha's pupils dilated, and his consciousness began to fade.

Boom!

Samadhi True Fire erupted from Xiao Weiqing's body, incinerating the toxins within him.

And it burned Xie Sha to ashes along with them.

"You... you..."

Everything happened too fast, so fast that Potz couldn't even react.

"My Secret Key."

Potz lunged for the box containing the Secret Key.

Xiao Weiqing beat him to it and grabbed the box.

"You..."

Now Xiao Weiqing's face was glowing with health; there was no trace of his previous weakness.

"I was wondering why there were Yao Race ambushes all along the way. So it was because of this thing."

"The Secret Key carries the power of the gods. The Yao Race has ways to detect it," Potz explained.

"It's that dangerous?"

"For your safety, I'll keep it for you."

"No way, give it back to me."

Potz stood up but stumbled because of the poison.

"Hurry up and take the Green Lotus Jade Liquid, or you might kick the bucket."

Three hours later.

Two young men slowly walked out of the desert's edge.

Potz, who had been sulking the whole time, asked, "Were you doing that on purpose earlier, tricking me into taking out the Secret Key?"

Xiao Weiqing was amused. "You haven't spoken for three hours, and that's what you were thinking about?"

"Yeah."

...