Chapter 395: 395
The sky loomed overhead, and the sea of clouds surged . Both of them extended as far as the eye could see . All was silent . Even the Soaring Dragon ship had stopped, as if it was quietly spectating the outcome of their battle .
There was a flash of fire, followed by a great rumble .
Li Qingshan felt scorching heat in the centre of his hand . Fire erupted between his fingers .
Jiang Shancheng knew he would die, so he actually activated the scarlet talisman regardless of the consequences .
The peaceful air was blown apart viciously, whistling and surging violently . The sea of clouds were pushed apart, creating a large hole .
Li Qingshan collided against the Soaring Dragon ship as he felt intense pain . His right hand had already become charred, while the huge Soaring Dragon ship shook .
Jiang Shancheng turned into white light and took off into the distance .
Li Qingshan shook his right hand, shaking off the ash and exposing his skin . With his recovery ability, a wound like this was nothing, but it did deplete a lot of daemon qi .
He thought, I really can’t underestimate any Foundation Establishment cultivator . If I’m too careless, I might end up screwing up such a simple task . If that scarlet talisman had been a little closer, he probably would lose his clone from exhausting too much daemon qi even with the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell .
Li Qingshan flapped his wings in pursuit . In just a few seconds, he arrived behind Jiang Shancheng .
Jiang Shancheng was charred . Although he was the one who had activated the talisman, it was not his own power, so he too was heavily injured due to the close proximity . He was unable to put up any resistance anymore, but he roared viciously, “You wretched daemon, I’ll drag you down with me!”
“Just by you?” Li Qingshan sneered, but he suddenly detected a hint of danger . He looked back .
Tiny doors opened on the side of the Soaring Dragon ship and countless black cannons protruded out . Specks of light began to gather towards them as their mouths shone brighter and brighter .
On this dark night, a drunken man walked on a small path running through a village . Suddenly, he heard a clap of thunder . The path was slippery from the night rain, so he leapt in fright and fell over .
“Fucking hell . Why’s it so slippery when it’s autumn…”
He raised his head, and his mouth dropped, forgetting to close it . All he saw was a hole in the sky . The stars twinkled in the hole as a silver streak of moonlight seemed to connect the ground with the sky .
“Dear heavens, spare me, spare me! I’ll never drink or beat my wife again!” He had completely sobered up . He knelt on the ground in fright and banged his head against the ground .
“Die!” Jiang Shancheng was very surprised by the power of the Soaring Dragon ship . He ravished with joy as he wielded the ship’s wheel, firing it again and again .
The Soaring Dragon ship had never been for transporting cargo, nor was it for showing off . Instead, it was the crystallisation of mohist craftsmanship, an unrivalled machine of war .
Li Qingshan flapped his wings and did his best to fly between the light, suddenly flying straight ahead, suddenly turning, and suddenly dropping by a few dozen meters, submerging deeply into the sea of clouds . The streaks of light pursued him relentlessly, completely unaffected by the clouds and giving him no opportunity to catch his breath .
Jiang Shancheng gazed at the clouds vigilantly . He flew towards the Soaring Dragon ship on his sword . As long as he returned to the ship and activated the defensive formations, there was nothing this daemon could do to him .
Li Qingshan’s figure turned violently like a hurricane . He was afraid to rest for even a second, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Shancheng . He fished out something from his hundred treasures pouch, weighed it in his hand, and then threw it as hard as he could .
Just when Jiang Shancheng was about to return to the ship, he felt like his body was being ripped apart, like it could collapse at any time . He was overcome by both joy and urgency . He urged his sword to fly faster, but his body halted . Lowering his head in disbelief, a bloody ‘spear’ had pierced his chest .
Behind him, a great flag drifted in the wind . As it turned out, Li Qingshan had thrown a huge flag at a critical moment . What pierced Jiang Shancheng was the flagpole .
His life rapidly bled away . Jiang Shancheng’s eyes were wide open . I’m someone even more powerful than those handsome geniuses with fantastic backgrounds like Hua Chengzan and Han Tieyi . I’m actually going to die here, at the hands of a wretched daemon . I refuse to accept this!
Li Qingshan rose up in the sea of clouds, moving horizontally . A streak of light shot past him in a slight curve and vanished into the sea of clouds .
This was also the Soaring Dragon ship’s last attack . Under the stars, Li Qingshan leapt on board and squatted slightly . His red hair danced in the wind, holding a ship’s wheel in one hand and a great flag in the other . Jiang Shancheng was skewered on the flagpole .
With a swing of the flag, Jiang Shancheng landed on the deck . He was on his last breath . He said with a feeble voice, “Please, I beg you, d- don’t kill me . Pine Sough academy will never spare you . The Daemon Suppression alliance will never spare you!”
“I’ll let you die knowing . I’m Li Qingshan,” Li Qingshan whispered quietly into Jiang Shancheng’s ears . His eyes widened, as if he wanted to say something .
Li Qingshan grabbed him by the head and twisted it three times before tossing him into his hundred treasures pouch to take back as a snack for Xiao An .
“Is this the control device?” Li Qingshan fiddled around with the ship’s wheel in his hand . The power of the Soaring Dragon ship tempted him very much, but in the end, he discovered he was actually unable to use it . The wheel did not respond to daemon qi at all, and he was unable to mobilise his true qi in his current state .
If I can’t use it, then I won’t use it! Li Qingshan stowed the wheel away and made his way into the cabin with the flag on his shoulder .
In this time, that woman should have fled already!
Li Qingshan held back his murderousness . Although he had once sworn he would make the Sect of Clouds and Rain bleed, that was a few years ago . He had already achieved the revenge he deserved, and he had no direct grievances with Qiu Haitang . He had to be lenient whenever possible, right? She was technically Hua Chengzan’s childhood friend after all . If he killed her, how was he supposed to face him in the future?
However, if he wanted to spare her, he could not make it too obvious, or it would rouse suspicion, which was why Li Qingshan had purposefully thrown her against the wall, making her suffer a little before he pursued Jiang Shancheng . He could pass it off as negligence .
Don’t tell me!
Qiu Haitang seemed to be completely oblivious to his departure and return . She just drank alone, not even asking about Jiang Shancheng’s fate, as if nothing in the world had anything to do with her .
“You didn’t escape?” Li Qingshan said in disbelief . “Could I escape?” Qiu Haitang answered him with a question . Actually, she had considered escaping after Li Qingshan had left, but she immediately dismissed that thought . Even if she could escape, just how far could she go? With his speed, he would probably catch up to her in an instant .
“Obvious not!” Li Qingshan was taken aback . If he hunted her down, it was indeed very difficult for Qiu Haitang to escape . He had no idea how to react . So much for my wonderful plan to spare you; you’re not even going to cherish it .
“Then why would I escape? If you want to kill me, then kill me!”
“Don’t you find it to be very disrespectful if I kill you because you want me to kill you!” Li Qingshan roared . He snatched over the flask of alcohol and drank it all . His eyes shone, as if he was undressing Qiu Haitang’s body . He grabbed her by the chin and smiled obscenely . “You better have some fun with me first!”
This was Li Qingshan’s second wonderful plan . She was still a woman at the end of the day . She could overcome death, but she would still be afraid of something like that . She would definitely say something along the lines of, “If you take another step closer, I’ll kill myself . ” With that, he would be able to go with the flow and spare her temporarily . Afterwards, he could purposefully give her an opportunity, and she would definitely flee for her life .
Li Qingshan could not help but feel proud of himself for coming up with another fantastic plan in such a short amount of time .
“At least you’re much more straightforward than the one before and much more pleasant to the eye . ” Sorrow flashed through Qiu Haitang’s eyes . She still refused to budge .
Li Qingshan almost burst out cursing . Isn’t it just a man? Do you have to be like this? The mighty sect master of the Sect of Clouds and Rain, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, actually suffers from infatuation too! Though, she sure matches that romantic blinded by love .
Originally, I wanted to undertake this discreetly and finish off Jiang Shancheng silently, but it’s all because of a woman like you that my plan is ruined . Once you get back and mention it, they’ll probably all suspect Li Qingshan . One is no different from two . Since you don’t want to live, then I’ll give you what you want . I’ll go all the way then and silence you for good!
Li Qingshan furrowed his brows, and his murderousness surged . He revealed his long, protruding teeth . An urge to bite through her pale neck blossomed inside him .
Qiu Haitang simply closed her eyes, ready to receive the incoming humiliation . Suddenly, she thought of Hua Chengzan again and felt pained . I’ve already been misfortunate enough, so why must I cause him unnecessary pain? I’ll just go with my purity!
A clear tear slid down from the corner of her eye . She was about to mobilise her spiritual qi and end it all for herself .
Li Qingshan’s heart shuddered . What’s wrong with me? Why is my killing intent so heavy? The power of the spirit turtle has completely surpassed the ox demon and tiger demon, so I shouldn’t be like this . It feels like some kind of restraint deep within me has vanished . He looked around and suddenly understood what he was missing—Xiao An!
Xiao An was not around him, so there was no need for him to be a model example . Like a horse free from its reins, he had almost broken out of his final shackle of ‘humanity’, becoming a daemon through and through, doing whatever he liked without any second thought!
He was even tempted to strip Qiu Haitang naked and humiliate her recklessly . So-called morality was so feeble before absolute strength . With no one else around him, it only nourished the growth of dark desires .
“This is boring!”
Qiu Haitang was taken aback . She opened her eyes and discovered that Li Qingshan had already retreated to the other side of the table, drinking by himself right from the jar .
“A woman who doesn’t put up any resistance is even more boring than an opponent who doesn’t put up any resistance!” Li Qingshan said .
If I become like this, what right do I have to guide Xiao An? What freedom does a person controlled by their desires have? Do I even pale in comparison to that mad woman Qian Rongzhi?
“Come with me!” Li Qingshan made his way out of the compartment .
Qiu Haitang followed behind him with no other choice . Just what was this daemon trying to do?
“Take it!”
Arriving on the deck, Li Qingshan tossed an item over, and Qiu Haitang caught it . She studied it . It was a tiny ship’s wheel .
Li Qingshan crossed his arms . “If you assist me, then I’ll spare you . I won’t touch a single hair on you . ”
“Where do you want to go?” With her hopes of many years fallen through, Qiu Haitang had become very disoriented and irrational . However, she was still someone who had cultivated for many years, so she possessed some willpower . In particular, ever since what happened earlier, having escaped death despite wanting to die, her desire for survival had surged . She recovered some of her usual composure .