Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1628: Chapter 1569: A Strong One Without a Future

Zhao Yun looked solemnly at Qiu Linbei, who exuded a malevolent aura. As he watched Qiu Linbei stroke the head wolf standing beside him, Zhao Yun understood why the hundreds of wolf-shaped Internal Qi Qiu Linbei had unleashed earlier resembled real wolves so much.

Because those wolves were once living wolves. Qiu Linbei, or rather the will centered around Qiu Linbei, had actually integrated with the will of hundreds of wolves. Only this method could explain why the Internal Qi projection resembled living beings.

[This guy probably ascended to Internal Qi Manifestation while battling this pack of wolves, likely resulting in mutual defeat. However, the Divine Stone saved his life, allowing him to absorb the spirits of the entire wolf pack that had just died but had not yet dissipated.] Zhao Yun watched Qiu Linbei, who was stroking the head wolf, with a heavy expression.

In fact, Zhao Yun had no idea that his assumptions were completely wrong. Qiu Linbei’s current situation was not accidental, as Zhao Yun thought, but rather a choice made by Qiu Linbei himself.

In Parthia, there is a secret technique that forcibly plunders others’ Essence, Qi, and Spirit, turning everything that belongs to others into one’s own. The effect is powerful but has significant drawbacks, as martial arts emphasize Essence, Qi, and Spirit; however, while the assimilation of Essence and Qi is relatively easy, the Spirit is difficult.

Because the Spirit is essentially a high integration of Mind and Will, the Internal Qi Manifestation of the Spirit is almost the condensation of Mind and Will, requiring not quantity but quality.

Absorbing someone else’s Spirit might cause pollution, reducing one’s strength. The biggest trouble, however, is the potential for causing personality disorder.

Of course, if it’s a small amount and one’s own Spirit is very strong, it doesn’t matter much; for example, Lyu Bu or Guan Yu can absorb about ten Qi Refining to Gang with no major problems, boosting strength by one or two layers temporarily, which is considered icing on the cake with the secret technique.

However, for most Ultimate Masters of Inner Qi Manifestation, absorbing ordinary Qi Refining to Gang can be very dangerous. After many failed experiments by Parthia, this technique ended up in Qiu Linbei’s hands.

After modification, Qiu Linbei planned to use it to absorb everything from animals. Compared to humans, the impact force of animals’ Spirit is much smaller. Moreover, Qiu Linbei personally raised a pack of wolves, gradually gaining their recognition.

If it weren’t for the subsequent Divine Stone Fragment, this would have been nothing. But one day, the head wolf acquired a fragment of the Divine Stone Core and ascended to Internal Qi Manifestation.

The other wolves also gained Internal Qi. After obtaining the remaining Divine Stone Fragments, Qiu Linbei decisively attacked and killed the head wolf. After all, this pack of wolves was prepared for his absorption from the start; the head wolf who transcended Internal Qi Manifestation couldn’t be allowed to take the entire pack away.

Qiu Linbei forcefully killed the head wolf and then went on to wipe out and absorb all the wolves, thanks to the Divine Stone Fragment ensuring he wasn’t obliterated by such a quantity of Internal Qi.

Ultimately, the Divine Stone Fragment couldn’t restrain the Spirit. After forcibly devouring the Spirit of the entire pack, Qiu Linbei became somewhat mad. Thankfully, wolves’ consciousness is not as complex as humans’, but having one Internal Qi Manifestation head wolf meant that Qiu Linbei’s final choice was integration!

Fortunately, Qiu Linbei succeeded. Inside him was more than twice the total amount of Internal Qi of regular Inner Qi Manifestation, possessing a Spirit far surpassing Internal Qi Manifestation, and a body forged by the Divine Stone, but he had no future.

Qiu Linbei’s Spirit was not his own; he lacked a highly purified Spirit. Even though Qiu Linbei diligently repelled countless foreign Spirits into the Internal Qi to create this spiritually infused Internal Qi attack, his Spirit could not become pure.

”You’ve angered me!” Qiu Linbei roared, the dark Internal Qi on his body suddenly erupting, covering his entire body like a wolf’s fur, angrily charging at Zhao Yun, while the previously destroyed wolf-shaped Internal Qi once again formed and howled as it rushed towards Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun’s expression turned serious as he switched the Long Spear to his right hand, extending a silver-blue Longsword with his left, looking ninety percent similar to the Yitian Sword.

Qiu Linbei’s black aura-infused Long Spear thrust directly at Zhao Yun—a spear flicked aside by Zhao Yun—that suddenly morphed into a wolf’s head with gleaming green eyes, snapping at Zhao Yun’s neck. Zhao Yun immediately swept his Short Sword horizontally, striking the wolf’s teeth, producing a resounding metallic clang.

At this moment, hundreds of wolf-shaped Internal Qi surrounding the area, all with gleaming green eyes, lunged at Zhao Yun from all directions, with countless black wolves converging simultaneously.

”Damn it!” Zhao Yun rarely showed a hint of gloom, instantly thrusting the Long Spear forward, shattering a black wolf in front, then blurring out of sight. He reappeared dozens of meters away, stepping through the air and thrusting his spear directly at Qiu Linbei’s back.

”Ding!” Qiu Linbei reflexively twisted to deflect Zhao Yun’s strike, while beside him, the Wolf King, eyes glowing fiercely, swiped its claws at Zhao Yun’s neck. Zhao Yun flipped over the Wolf King, letting his Short Sword slide down and directly slice at the Wolf King’s lower back.

Suddenly, the Wolf King, with a sorrowful cry, was sliced in two by Zhao Yun. However, the next moment, it transformed into black Internal Qi and returned to Qiu Linbei, then reappeared on the Long Spear.

[It’s entirely equivalent to two top-class Ultimate Masters of Inner Qi Manifestation, plus a bunch of undying miscellaneous soldiers assisting.] Zhao Yun executed a Plum Blossom Twirl, wiping out a swathe of wolves.

However, just as Zhao Yun anticipated, the wolf pack merely turned into black energy, returning to Qiu Linbei, only to recover shortly after.

[It seems I have to take that guy down, but the opponent’s physique is more suited for Internal Qi exertion, so even executing a one-hit kill isn’t that simple.] Zhao Yun thought with a slightly heavy heart, feeling that it was quite tricky even for him.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Yun withdrew the Yitian Sword condensed from Internal Qi, as the fake weapon still lacked some power in battle. Gripping the Dragon Gall Spear with both hands, Zhao Yun suddenly accelerated, crossing the wolf pack and confronting Qiu Linbei head-on once more.

The silver-white Dragon Gall Spear, carrying silver-blue radiance, thrust directly at Qiu Linbei’s neck. Qiu Linbei neither dodged nor flinched, countering by stabbing Zhao Yun back, while the wolf transformed from Internal Qi at his feet swiped its paw towards Zhao Yun’s Dragon Gall Spear.

At that moment, Zhao Yun’s Dragon Gall Spear suddenly quivered, then seemed to warp space as the spearhead continued to twist towards Qiu Linbei despite piercing the Wolf King.

”Ding!” Qiu Linbei fiercely deflected the spearhead, but in an instant, the Dragon Gall Spear reappeared like a haunting curse between Qiu Linbei’s neck, only for a wolf’s head to emerge once more from Qiu Linbei’s chest, blocking the strike.

Unsuccessful in one strike, Zhao Yun almost instantaneously shifted several meters away again, staring seriously at Qiu Linbei. The Wolf King recovered too quickly, and without separating them, a destroyed Wolf King could restore immediately from Qiu Linbei.