Chapter 145 – Pale Flames of Bone Smelting (1/2)

However, there were many parts that seemed strange to Qian Rongzhi.

She had already gained some understanding as to what kind of person Li Qingshan was. He might have been courageous and staunch to his morals, but he was not stupid. Anyone knew it would be a futile effort to face a sixth layer Qi Practitioner while at the second layer, but he was fearless.

She had purposefully probed him earlier, confirming once again that he really did not have any backing he could rely on, so just what was he relying on?

When they came, during the night on the boat, Qian Rongming went to make trouble for Li Qingshan. He did not die at Diao Fei’s hands, but his hands, as he used a special method to hide his strength.

Was his true strength beyond the second layer of Qi Practitioner?

Qian Rongzhi thought of something. Zhao Liangqing and Furong’s mysterious disappearance might have purely been a coincidence, but she knew Qian Yannian’s strength very well. Even if he managed to get past the two Geng Metal Swords of Qi, there would be many powerful talismans waiting for him in Qian Yannian’s hundred treasures pouch, so why had they not been used?

She shut her eyes and began to recall the past as best as she could. Washing away the blood and craziness of last night, it reappeared before her.

Qian Yannian stared at her furiously, but he did not say anything to her. Why? His chin had shattered. He was covered in many wounds, but the critical one was located at his chest, which was why her Water-splitting barb had pierced him so easily.

When Qian Yannian emerged, he was basically on his last breath already. Li Qingshan seemed to have been knocked out in a horrible shape, but he did not seem to be injured at all. He had defeated Qian Yannian in a direct confrontation.

Li Qingshan must have had an extremely powerful trump card, which was why he was bold enough to be so haughty and arrogant.

She thought about Qian Yannian’s wounds. Li Qingshan’s arts of forging the body might have been much more powerful than he had displayed, powerful enough for him to steal Qian Yannian’s hundred treasures pouch, shatter his chin, and pierce his chest in a single instant. Afterwards, he was knocked away as an act. If that were the case, everything made sense. All of Li Qingshan’s actions and words fell in place together.

Just like how thieves were petty people, yet they were more clever than kings, Li Qingshan had never thought that everything he did would be deduced in such detail.

Qian Rongzhi saw something else. A vicious tiger laid within the woods, waiting for the vulture to dive down from the sky. Who was the predator? Who was the prey? That was undecided!

She obviously was not kind enough to warn Zhuo Zhibo. It was just like before. She would be happy no matter who died. Hopefully, they would fall in battle together.

For the first time, she felt like Li Qingshan had a slightly greater chance at victory, as he hid in the darkness. Those who hid in the darkness were terrifying. She understood this very well herself. If she used this matter to threaten Li Qingshan right now, she would definitely die, but if she reported this to Zhuo Zhibo, there would probably be no benefit either. Moreover, if she lost the gamble, she would have to be buried along with Zhuo Zhibo. Li Qingshan’s warning was not a joke.

Then, if she wagered on Li Qingshan, was it possible for her to get a share of Zhuo Zhibo’s corpse?

She seriously considered these possibilities. Being a crafty, petty person really was much more difficult than being an impractical person of noble character. At this moment, her cold thinking completely discarded any consideration for her own honour or disgrace, even more than a wise and open-minded king. Everything was for the sake of benefit.

A cold breeze suddenly swept towards Qian Rongzhi from the pit. It caused her to shiver. Unknowingly, it was already very deep into the night.

She turned around and saw a green will-o’-wisp floating above the pit.

Even ordinary people would be startled by that, let alone her, the reason behind all of this. However, she only cursed jokingly, “Damned ghosts!” Afterwards, she cast aside the matter regarding Li Qingshan. There were even more important matters for her to attend to at the moment!

Now, it really was time for her to pay a visit home.

She raised her head and smiled at the starry sky. Father, mother, my brothers and sisters, you must be all sick of waiting!

After Qian Rongzhi left, something startling happened beneath the soil in the pit.

Web-like cracks expanded over the jar. It exploded violently, and Blood Flames of Corpse Incineration spread out in all directions, devouring all of the corpses and the foul flesh and blood, turning it into a part of the flames. It burned even more vigorously.

The dim depths tuned into a brilliant sea of fire. The foul, rotting corpses turned into clear, surging flames.

The will-o’-wisps vanished from above the pit.

With a rattle, over a thousand skeletons fell to the bottom of the pit.

Xiao An sat at the centre of the raging flames with his legs crossed, controlling the fire while absorbing the energy of the blood flames.

The skulls at the bottom of the pit stared at him silently with their empty eye sockets.

Xiao An extended his index finger downwards, and the blood flames turned into thousands of snakes, slithering through the skulls.

Blood flames similar to his lit up in the empty eye sockets. All of the skeletons began to shake, constantly banging against one another and producing a hurried rattle. Afterwards, they flew up, and the scattered bones assembled together.

Over a thousand skeletons of various sizes leapt about at the bottom of the pit, dancing around in the flames. The rattling of the bones were like percussive instruments, while the chattering of teeth was like singing. They surrounded Xiao An like they were holding a grand sacrificial ceremony.

The Blood Flames of Corpse Incineration could be divided and imbued into corpses, developing a link with Xiao An so that he could control them at will. He knew this already. However, there was no point to this at all. The weak skeletons could not even defeat weaker practitioners of martial arts.

A skull flew over and landed in Xiao An’s hand.

With eye sockets to eye sockets, their blood flames burned together.