novelraw Chapter 180: A Temporary Qi Sense Stage
Chapter 180: A Temporary Qi Sense Stage
Fuing suddenly laughed softly. Not mocking, or arrogant.
Just tired.
"...Maybe."
The sect master slowly straightened his back despite the wounds covering his body.
Then his hand moved inside his robe.
Duskveil’s pale-blue eye narrowed slightly.
From within his robes, Fuing pulled out a small talisman.
Old.
Ancient even.
The yellow paper looked fragile from age while strange symbols were carved across its surface using dried crimson ink.
The moment the talisman appeared, the surrounding air changed.
Even Duskveil stopped walking.
Fuing looked down at the talisman quietly.
His expression became complicated.
For a brief moment, his eyes shifted toward the distant corpse of his disciple lying amidst the battlefield.
A trace of sadness appeared in his gaze.
Then disappeared.
"This one..."
"...was meant for the sect’s final moment."
Duskveil slowly raised his sword again.
Instinct.
For the first time since the battle started, his killing instincts were warning him heavily.
Danger.
Real danger.
Fuing exhaled slowly. Then crushed the talisman.
CRACK.
The paper shattered apart instantly, and the world exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A terrifying pressure erupted from Fuing’s body like a storm descending upon the battlefield.
The ground beneath him collapsed instantly.
Stone shattered apart.
Nearby practitioners and undead alike were blown backward violently from the pressure alone.
Even the air itself felt heavier.
Then, a faint visible force began flowing around Fuing’s body. Everyone felt it immediately.
Qi.
Real Qi.
Though, not enough to fully control, and not enough to use techniques.
But enough to elevate him temporarily into the true Qi Sense Stage.
Fuing slowly opened his eyes again.
And this time, even Duskveil stepped backward once.
Because the pressure radiating from Fuing now was completely different.
A higher existence.
The gap between quasi-Qi Sense and true Qi Sense wasn’t small.
It was enormous.
Peak body tempering practitioners touched the next realm.
Quasi-Qi Sense practitioners stood near the gate.
But true Qi Sense practitioners had already stepped through it.
Their bodies evolved again.
Their instincts sharpened beyond reason.
Even their movements carried terrifying force naturally.
The battlefield itself became silent for a brief moment.
One elder whispered in shock,
"...Qi Sense Stage..."
Even the undead army hesitated slightly.
Meanwhile inside the distant carriage, Aiden’s expression changed immediately.
He felt it.
Even from this far away.
A terrifying pressure had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Much stronger than Duskveil.
Aiden immediately stood up.
"What the hell..."
Carrion and Kael both turned toward Fuing’s direction instantly.
Even Dragmar stopped moving briefly.
The pressure from the sect master had become overwhelming.
Meanwhile Fuing slowly clenched his fist.
Crack.
The sound alone caused the ground beneath him to fracture.
His wounds were still there.
But the strength flowing through his body now was on an entirely different level.
Then he vanished.
BOOOOOOM!
A sonic explosion erupted where he had been standing.
Duskveil’s eye immediately sharpened.
Too fast.
Even for him.
Bang!
Fuing’s fist slammed directly into Duskveil’s chest before the death knight could fully react.
CRAAAAACK!
The black armor exploded apart instantly.
Duskveil’s body became a black blur as he was launched through multiple ruined buildings across the battlefield.
Entire structures collapsed from the impact.
The nearby undead were pulverized instantly from the shockwave.
Several practitioners stared with disbelief.
"...He sent that monster flying!"
Fuing didn’t stop.
BOOM!
The sect master appeared again instantly beside Duskveil before the death knight could recover.
Another punch descended.
Duskveil barely raised his sword.
CLAAAAANG!
The black blade bent violently.
The impact blasted Duskveil deep into the ground hard enough to create a massive crater.
Dust exploded skyward.
Even Duskveil’s pale-blue eye flickered violently now.
For the first time, he was being overwhelmed completely.
Fuing stood above the crater breathing heavily.
Blood still dripped from his body.
But the Qi pressure surrounding him continued crushing everything nearby.
"I only have five minutes," Fuing thought.
"So I’ll kill all of you before it ends."
Then suddenly, a voice interrupted him calmly.
"You won’t."
Fuing’s eyes narrowed instantly.
The battlefield shifted slightly.
Coldness spread through the area.
Then, Aiden stepped forward from the darkness.
His black cloak moved lightly beneath the night wind while pale-blue light reflected faintly across his calm eyes.
Behind him, endless undead continued flooding through the broken city walls.
Aiden’s attention remained entirely on Fuing.
The pressure radiating from the sect master was immense.
Even standing dozens of meters away, Aiden could feel it pressing against his skin.
It wasn’t just strength.
It was a difference in existence.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Aiden wasn’t certain he could win.
His heart was beating faster than usual.
Not from fear alone.
From uncertainty.
The system had given him power.
Power far beyond what he should have possessed.
But this...
This was close to a real Qi Sense cultivator.
Even if only temporary. It was more than enough to kill dozens of people.
Or him.
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"That talisman."
His gaze remained fixed on Fuing.
"It’s not permanent."
Duskveil slowly climbed out of the crater behind him.
Cracks covered his armor.
Part of his chest plate had completely collapsed inward.
His sword remained in his hand.
Yet his pale-blue eye remained calm.
"My lord is correct."
Duskveil stepped beside Aiden.
"The power is borrowed."
Aiden nodded.
"Exactly."
Fuing simply watched, and breathing heavily.
The temporary Qi flowing through his body felt incredible.
But he could already feel the timer ticking. Five minutes. That was all.
Aiden’s mind raced.
Fight him directly? That’s Stupid.
Even Duskveil was getting thrown around.
The goal wasn’t victory, but to survived.
"All we need to do is stall him."
Aiden glanced toward Duskveil.
"We survive as long as this power run out."
"Then he drops back down."
Duskveil lowered his head slightly.
"Yes, my lord."
Then he looked toward Fuing.
The pale-blue light in his eye sharpened.
"If necessary..."
"...do not hesitate to sacrifice me."
Aiden blinked. Then looked at him.
"Duskveil."
"My lord?"
"Let’s not jump straight to sacrificing ourselves."
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Aiden’s face.
"We’re not there yet."
A brief silence followed.
The battlefield around them continued to burn.
The city walls were collapsing.
Undead and practitioners fought across the broken streets.
Screams echoed from every direction.
Yet in this small section of the battlefield, everything seemed strangely quiet.
Because everyone’s attention was fixed on Fuing.
The temporary Qi Sense cultivator.
The strongest person present.
Aiden’s gaze never left him.
Then he spoke. "We have no idea how long that power will last."
Aiden slowly rolled his shoulders.
The pressure pressing against his body felt heavier with every passing second.
"It could be one minute."
"It could be two minutes."
"It could be longer."
His eyes narrowed.
"I don’t intend to find out the hard way."
Duskveil remained silent.
Aiden continued.
"I’ll fight him directly."
Duskveil’s expression changed.
"My lord—"
Aiden raised a hand.
"Relax."
Then he looked toward Duskveil.
"I just need you to support me. Cover my blind spots, and buy me openings."
"If he focuses on me, you attack. If he focuses on you, I’ll interfere. Since we don’t need to beat him. We just need to survive."
Duskveil stared at Aiden for a moment.
Then he slowly lowered his head.
"As you command, my lord."
Aiden nodded.
"Good."
His eyes shifted toward Fuing.
The sect master was no longer standing still.
The man had already adjusted to his temporary Qi Sense strength.
That was the worst part.
The first few seconds after gaining power were dangerous.
But once someone adapted to it. They became far deadlier.
Aiden exhaled slowly. Then he activated his skills.
"Bone Armor."
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
White bone erupted across his body. Ribs layered over his chest. Bone plates covered his shoulders.
His arms became wrapped in dense skeletal armor. Sharp spikes formed around his forearms and elbows.
The armor continued growing until it covered almost every vital area. The moment it finished, Aiden felt his defense increase dramatically.
Then he activated another skill.
"Grave Knight Form."
BOOOOM!
Dark necromantic energy erupted from his body.
The bone armor immediately transformed. The white bones darkened into blackened skeletal plates. Additional armor formed over his limbs.
His frame became larger, heavier, and stronger.
Dark mist leaked from the gaps of the armor while pale-blue flames flickered within the eye sockets of his helmet.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, Aiden clenched his fist. The increase in strength was immediate. His muscles felt lighter. His movements become sharper. Even his senses seemed enhanced.
Nearby undead instinctively stepped backward.
Even Carrion looked surprised.
"My lord..."
Aiden rolled his shoulders.
The armor groaned softly.
"Yeah."
He could feel it.
This was the strongest he had ever been.
Beside him, Duskveil slowly raised his sword.
The pale-blue glow in his eye intensified.
The battlefield suddenly became silent.
Because Fuing had started walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each step shattered the ground beneath his feet.
The invisible pressure surrounding him distorted the dust in the air.
His eyes locked onto Aiden.
"You should have stayed behind your army."
Aiden shrugged.
"You should have stayed behind your walls."
Fuing vanished.
BOOOOOOM!
The earth exploded. Aiden’s eyes widened.
Fast.
Much faster than before.
The moment Fuing appeared, Duskveil moved.
CLANG!
The black sword intercepted Fuing’s fist.
A shockwave erupted instantly. And the force blasted Duskveil backward.
The death knight’s boots carved two trenches through the ground.
Before Fuing could continue—
"Bone Spear!"
Shhhhhk!
Eight black spears erupted from the earth and launched toward him.
Fuing didn’t even look.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
His fists shattered every spear. Bone fragments scattered everywhere. Then he appeared directly before Aiden.
Too fast.
Aiden barely reacted.
"Bone Shield!"
CRACK!