The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 2153 - Demon Gate's Mo Tianzhi, One Strike

"Is she your wife?"

Qing Shui nodded. At this moment, Tantai Lingyan didn't pay that man any heed but walked toward Qing Shui instead.

Qing Shui smiled, walked over, and embraced her, "Yan`er!"

"Why are you here?" Tantai Lingyan's tone was still a little stiff and cold, but only Qing Shui could tell the yearning in her voice. Although it wasn't very strong, he could still tell.

"I heard that a beautiful lady was trying to find out the information about the Five Tiger Immortal Palace. I knew that you must have come." Qing Shui said softly.

The corner of Tantai Lingyan's lips curled up, "Let's leave this place. There are many people here."

"Alright!"

Nuo Lan stood from a short distance away, looking at Qing Shui and that beautiful lady hugging each other. She was feeling an indescribable sense of disappointment, though she didn't understand why she would feel this way. It could be because she liked Qing Shui. In this world, polygamy was accepted. However, when a woman saw a man they liked in love with another woman, they would still feel uncomfortable.

Qing Shui took Tantai Lingyan's hand and walked toward Nuo Lan.

"Stop right there!" At that moment, an enraged voice rang out.

Qing Shui didn't have to guess to know who it was.

"Is anything the matter?" Qing Shui looked at this demonic man who was very young.

"Who are you to her?" The man's handsome face appeared a little twisted as he said this. He had taken a liking to this woman and had made up his mind that regardless if she had a man or was married, he must get his hands on her. Otherwise, he felt that he would go crazy.

"Is it of any concern to you what our relationship is?"

"What audacity! To think that you would dare to speak to our Young Master in this manner," Qing Shui had just finished his words when the young man next to the demonic man bellowed.

"You're just a dog. Why are you pretending to be human[1]?" Qing Shui smiled and looked at that young man as he replied.

"You... you... you're courting death!" The young man was so infuriated that his lips were trembling. He had always seen himself to be in the role of an advisor, someone who would offer advice to his Young Master. However, this was the first time he was called a dog. He couldn't hold back his urge to want to kill Qing Shui.

"A dog must understand its role as a dog and not bring trouble for its owner. If your Young Master were to lose an arm or a leg because of a dog like you, I wonder if you'd still be left with a whole corpse." Qing Shui looked coldly at his young man.

The young man was given a scare by Qing Shui's gaze and he broke out in cold sweat. To think that a woman that even his Young Master was unable to handle, a woman who was comparable to Beihuang Fan, had such a close relationship with this young man. Moreover, this woman was someone with a cold character.

How could a man, who could possess such a woman, have a simple character? How could this person be someone he could easily threaten? At the thought of this, he was completely soaked in sweat and didn't dare to speak another word.

"Please give her up to me. You can say your conditions," The demonic man looked at Qing Shui and said directly.

Qing Shui's eyes narrowed, "Scram!"

The demonic man's lips twitched. No one had ever said this word to him throughout his entire life. Although he wasn't comparable to his brother who was the Junior Sect Leader, he was still an absolute genius. Therefore, none of the seniors in the clan would say this to him.

However, he was now told to scram by this young man.

"I don't wish for her to see you dying in my hands," The demonic man sighed and said.

Qing Shui found it funny when he saw this guy trying to act tough. He said in disdain, "Scram, It'd be a pity to die at such a young age. Your elder brother might still be able to handle me, but you can only wait to be killed."

Qing Shui didn't wish to kill anyone, and he didn't wish to fight it out with the Demon Gate at this point. He wasn't fully prepared yet.

Mo Tianzhi's countenance turned pale. He wasn't sure if Qing Shui's words were true. If they weren't, then he'd be able to kill this guy and also get the woman. However, if it was the truth, then even if he were to die, it'd probably be for naught. If this guy could kill him, then he probably had a strong backing as well. If news were to spread that he was killed for having his eyes on another man's woman, he'd have died for nothing. He would be the one seen to be courting death...

However, he felt like giving it a gamble at the sight of this woman. He was a genius amongst geniuses. Could this man possibly defeat him? How could there be so many geniuses around? Give it a try, if you manage to kill him, then this woman would be yours...

This thought kept flashing about in his mind, gradually getting the upper hand. He clenched his teeth and looked at Qing Shui, "What place do you think this is? You'll have to check who your opponent is before you try to scare them. Attack!"

When Mo Tianzhi finished his words, the 200 people behind him got into a formation and went charging toward Qing Shui.

The people behind him weren't ordinary guards. Although they were a lot weaker compared to Qing Shui, they could form a formation—the Black Tortoise Formation.

Qing Shui knew about this formation as well, but it was a little weak. It was a formation where the users would be receiving a beating. It could increase one's defense, parrying, and deflecting ability against physical damage. The people who set up this formation were unable to attack and could only withstand damages.

This was a sort of fairness as well, sacrificing attacks in exchange for a powerful defense.

However, Mo Tianzhi was also considered a rare talent in formations. He had made changes to the formation, and the Black Tortoise Formation modified by him didn't have many changes to it but could now be used for attacks. However, only the person at the eye of the formation could attack.

Right now, Mo Tianzhi was the one standing at the eye of the formation.

This wasn't all. The Black Tortoise Formation modified by him was especially strong in defense. Moreover, the formation could be a little further away from the people who set it up. Therefore, other than Qing Shui, no one knew that he was already setting up the formation or was inside the formation.

"Take an attack from me!"

A short-hilted broadsword appeared in the man's hand. The dark green short-hilted broadsword slashed out toward Qing Shui, turning into something like a dark green dragon claw that was grabbing out toward Qing Shui.

Demonic Dragon Sword Qi！

Qing Shui, who had attacked later, punched right at the man's heart.

Boom!

An exaggerated stifled sound rang out, but what surprised Qing Shui was that the other party wasn't hurt at all. The dark green Demonic Dragon Sword Qi continued to slash out toward Qing Shui.

Qing Shui was astonished. The modification that this man had made to the Black Tortoise Formation was a tremendous breakthrough. The attack that Qing Shui had done earlier was the one with a strength of two billion Dao Force, but he had gotten away unscathed. This man's strength was only at 500 million Dao Force at the start of the battle.

A strength of 500 million Dao Force was at the middle stage of the Seventh level of Divinity. A person with that much power was considered to be a genius amongst geniuses. However, he managed to get away unscathed despite receiving an attack with the strength of two billion Dao Force.

Qing Shui hadn't been bent on killing his opponent with his earlier attack. Qing Shui was aware that they had activated the Black Tortoise Formation, and thus launched an attacking force of two billion Dao Force. Even with the presence of a formation, Qing Shui was still planning to injure him or even seriously wounding him. However, he now realized that the guy was unscathed.

"Haha, you want to kill me with this little power?" Mo Tianzhi laughed out loud.

Qing Shui rubbed his nose and called out his Nine Continents Mountain, sending it smashing over.

Boom!

The Nine Continents Mountain's current attacking prowess was extremely terrifying. Qing Shui didn't wish to use the Stellar Transposition since it would definitely kill this guy immediately. After all, it was a technique capable of going over one's defense. It'd be useless to defend no matter how strong one's defense was. They would all just end up being blasted to the extent that nothing would be left of them.

The Nine Continents Mountain had the Shield Attack and could also negate a little defense. Therefore, there wouldn't be any deaths. Qing Shui had already assessed from earlier what the level of strength the opponent could withstand.

One attack. Just one attack was enough. Mo Tianzhi was sent flying out, spurting fresh blood. The Black Tortoise Formation was also broken since the eye of the formation was brought down. The 200 people's faces were extremely pale, and there was blood on the corners of their lips.

Mo Tianzhi was seriously injured, but not at the risk of dying. He looked at Qing Shui in disbelief. To think that this young man could break through his formation... What was that thing that looked like a small mountain...?

[1] In Chinese, calling someone a lackey is the same as calling one a dog.