C44 He Killed Him

In the courtyard, Peng Gengkun squared off against Wei Pengxing, his arms raised defensively, his expression one of intense caution.

Wei Pengxing's innate strength was once considered negligible, but now, empowered by the core of his Martial Soul, he posed a lethal threat to Peng Gengkun—capable, even, of killing him. Peng Gengkun knew that if he wanted to seize Wei Pengxing's Martial Soul core, he had to proceed with utmost care, lest he fall victim to Wei Pengxing's power.

"There was never any deep-seated enmity between Wei Pengxing and me, just envy," Peng Gengkun reflected. "But when he involved Wei Mingzhi and I was forced to kill him in the Death Match Arena for my own survival, our feud became unresolvable. Now, Wei Pengxing is determined to take my life, even at the cost of his own. His resolve is strong, but it's also his most significant vulnerability."

Wei Pengxing, wary of a mutual downfall, held back from launching another attack. Instead, he gathered his strength, preparing to unleash a decisive blow to obliterate Peng Gengkun.

Meanwhile, Peng Gengkun continued to strategize. "If his heart is brimming with rage and vengeance, then I have an opening to exploit."

Resolute, Peng Gengkun bellowed, "Wei Pengxing, if you kill me outside the Death Match Arena, the Flying Cloud Sect will punish you!"

"Fear of death doesn't hold me back, let alone punishment!" Wei Pengxing's wild laughter rang out. "After I kill you, I won't live much longer anyway. The Flying Cloud Sect's punishment means nothing to me!"

Peng Gengkun raised his voice again, "If the Flying Cloud Sect can't punish you, they'll surely visit their wrath upon the Wei family!"

Wei Pengxing's laughter persisted, unabated. "I don't care!"

Peng Gengkun's gaze sharpened, and with a sudden shift in his tone, he shouted, "Of course you don't care. Because it was Wei Mingzhi who died first, not you!"

This struck a nerve. Wei Pengxing was incensed.

"You scum! You're as good as dead! I swear I'll kill you!"

His roars echoed as the pent-up Astral Energy within him burst forth. Without resorting to any particular technique, the sheer force of his unleashed power instantly bore down on Peng Gengkun, who was forced to retreat, desperately defending himself.

Despite the circumstances, Peng Gengkun was still wounded, coughing up another mouthful of blood.

"Lucky me! I've managed to provoke Wei Pengxing, causing him to release the power he's been hoarding. It's hurt me, sure, but it's not enough to kill me! If Wei Pengxing had saved up that power to unleash some ultimate martial arts move, I'd be a goner! Luckily, his impulsiveness and quick temper make it hard for him to hold back."

Peng Gengkun mused to himself, slowly letting out a breath of relief.

As long as Wei Pengxing remained rash, Peng Gengkun saw an opportunity for a counterattack! Even with Wei Pengxing showing greater strength, Peng Gengkun was confident he could find a way to defeat him!

With this in mind, Peng Gengkun continued to hurl insults, goading Wei Pengxing. True to form, Wei Pengxing took the bait, his Astral Energy dissipating as he launched a barrage of attacks. In moments, the courtyard was decimated, reduced to rubble.

Peng Gengkun either dissolved the onslaught with Leviathan-roc Astral Energy or evaded with the Shocking Wind Step. At times, he even withstood the attacks head-on, neutralizing each one.

The local villagers had already witnessed the fierce battle, yet none dared to intervene.

Indeed, the clash of two Warriors was not something mere villagers could interfere with!

In an instant, the once-peaceful village descended into chaos, the villagers scattering, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.

Wei Pengxing, seeing the havoc, grew even more smug, especially as Peng Gengkun, battered from dodging, appeared pitiful.

"Are you still trying to fight back? You're weaker than me now, you can't possibly win!" Wei Pengxing taunted with a wild laugh, "Die as a sacrifice to my brother!"

"Sacrifice?"

Peng Gengkun stumbled, his appearance one of utter desolation. Yet, a mysterious smile began to play at the corners of his mouth.

"Wei Pengxing! If I'm not mistaken, after using so many Martial Arts in succession, your Astral Energy must be completely depleted by now!"

Wei Pengxing sneered menacingly, "You've got sharp eyes! Too bad you're missing one crucial detail—I've secured the core of the Martial Soul. With a Spirit Stone in hand, I have access to limitless power!"

With that, Wei Pengxing produced a Spirit Stone, crushed it forcefully, and began to siphon the energy within.

Despite having depleted his Astral Energy, Wei Pengxing's physique remained at the Soul Refining Stage, making him a formidable opponent for Peng Gengkun. But Peng Gengkun was ready for this moment.

"He's absorbing Astral Energy! Relying solely on his physical strength, he won't be able to resist this technique, not even as a Soul Refining Stage warrior! Demon Suppressing Ring, strike!"

Peng Gengkun bellowed, channeling his Astral Energy and instantly forming the Demon Suppressing Ring.

The intangible Astral Energy coalesced into lassos, swiftly ensnaring Wei Pengxing.

Caught off guard, Wei Pengxing's initial shock quickly turned to maniacal laughter.

"Sure, I'm currently devoid of Astral Energy, but I'm still above your level. The Demon Suppressing Ring can detain me for mere seconds! Shatter!"

Wei Pengxing roared, determined to escape the Demon Suppressing Ring's grasp.

Yet, as Peng Gengkun deployed the Demon Suppressing Ring, he also wildly surged the Astral Energy within him.

Given Peng Gengkun's current state, his Astral Energy was more than tenfold that of an average warrior at his level. But executing this move had drained him completely in an instant!

The third technique of the Great Vajra Palm, Vajra Subduing Dragon, was unleashed.

The ferocious Astral Energy blasted Wei Pengxing, who screamed in agony as the force propelled him skyward. He soared dozens of meters before the might of the Vajra Subduing Dragon finally waned, and he plummeted to the earth.

Now, Wei Pengxing lay on the ground, Astral Energy depleted, relying solely on his battered body to endure the blow. His injuries were severe; survival seemed unlikely.

Struggling weakly, disbelief etched across his face, Wei Pengxing gasped, "How can you execute Martial Arts in succession? Continuous circulation of Astral Energy should cause a backlash, preventing you from using Martial Arts for a short time! Yet, how do you keep channeling it? Such powerful Martial Arts require a significant concentration of Astral Energy. How could you possibly amass such an immense amount in the blink of an eye?"

Peng Gengkun wore a faint smile, yet offered no explanation.

His ability to perform such feats was simply because he lacked a Qi Sea. Or to put it another way, he had a Qi Sea but couldn't use it to accumulate Astral Energy.

Peng Gengkun relied entirely on the system to wield the Astral Energy! As a result, he could instantly command vast amounts of it. No matter how ferocious the technique, Peng Gengkun could execute it seamlessly.

But of course, he had no intention of sharing this secret with Wei Pengxing.

With a casual flick of his sleeve, Peng Gengkun spoke with a detached tone, "I'm truly sorry, but you've lost the privilege of knowing."

Wei Pengxing, barely holding himself up, attempted to launch another attack. But his strength was fading away.

Ultimately, Wei Pengxing exhaled deeply, his eyes closing with boundless remorse. He was gone.

Peng Gengkun confirmed Wei Pengxing's demise. His knees weakened, nearly buckling under him.

This fight with Wei Pengxing had been tougher than any before. After all, his confrontation with Wei Mingzhi had been brief before he claimed victory.

"Thankfully, I've taken down Wei Mingzhi. Now it's time to take stock of my gains!"

With that thought, a trace of elation began to spread across his face.