Chapter Thirty-Five: A Stab to the Very End

"Big brother, that guy is hiding deep in the mine, refining the Frost Jade Pearl."

At that moment, Sleepy Bug returned, panting heavily, and was utterly stunned by the scene before him.

"Big brother, you're amazing! Now all this Cold Iron ore belongs to us!"

"Alright. Tell me which way he went. You can stay here and feast on some yourself."

"What!? Big brother, you're too good to me—I could just die for you! He's over there!"

Sleepy Bug bounced with excitement; the fragrant Cold Iron ore was simply irresistible.

"Mm."

Qin Chuan replied and, with a flash, sped toward the depths of the mine.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord had already begun refining, but the Frost Jade Pearl was not something that could be absorbed in a short time. He had no idea that his lair had already been breached by Qin Chuan.

Clang, clang, clang!

Suddenly, a series of sounds echoed down the tunnel. The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord immediately stopped refining, warily eyeing the passage ahead.

"Who is it?!"

Normally, his subordinates would never come at this time, unless something unusual had happened.

Qin Chuan made no effort to conceal the noise of his approach and appeared directly before the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord.

"A second-tier Supreme Black Iron Sword, rare quality, level fourteen."

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord quickly assessed the rank, quality, and level of Qin Chuan’s Black Iron Sword.

At the same time, a tidal wave of emotions surged within him.

"Did you kill them all?"

That simple question carried the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord’s fury, shock, and sorrow—his spear trembled uncontrollably.

"Yes."

Qin Chuan did not deny it. For some reason, he felt a trace of desolation.

"Haha! Good, very good. In this Spirit Realm, it's either you die or I live—only the strong survive."

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord laughed, and to be able to laugh under such circumstances showed the makings of a true warrior.

Qin Chuan was a little surprised, sensing a similarity between this Spear Lord and the Flying Lynx Lord: "Rare to see such insight from you."

"What insight? We're all just spirit creatures raised in captivity."

"You are outstanding, but in the Spirit Realm, you end up as someone else's tool, enslaved."

"The more outstanding you are, the more you become a target for others."

Perhaps sensing his end was near, the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord spoke these words.

Qin Chuan stared at him in silence, aware of the basic truths about the Spirit Realm, but he had not expected all its spirit creatures to be enslaved.

Since he was in the Spirit Realm, Qin Chuan could not ignore this problem.

"One thing you said is right: only the strong survive. You served Black Wind Cliff because you weren't strong enough!"

"But I am destined never to!"

Qin Chuan’s voice brimmed with confident fervor. As someone with a free soul, he would never accept enslavement.

Better to shatter like jade than survive as a tile—that was Qin Chuan’s resolve.

"Haha, you have spirit. But let’s see if you have the strength! I am your trial!"

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord’s awareness was exceptional; his tone even carried a hint of detachment.

"Rest assured, I will help you end your pain."

"Come then, show me your skills!"

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord gave a resonant hum. The entire spear radiated a chilling aura.

His rank was supreme, so his presence was naturally formidable.

"Take this—Frost Spear Chill!"

He launched the attack first, a jet of frost bursting from the spear tip.

Frost Spear Chill covered a three-meter range, inducing a thirty percent slowdown within the area.

This time, Qin Chuan did not use Blink but skillfully maneuvered toward the edge of the effect.

This Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord was a rare opponent; Qin Chuan intended to hone his combat technique.

"Frost Spear Shadow!"

Seeing his attack connect, the Spear Lord immediately activated his second-stage skill.

Whoosh! The spear darted like a dragon, reaching Qin Chuan in an instant.

Qin Chuan’s mind was calm as still water; unafraid, he swung his sword to block!

Clang!

The spear struck with the force of a thousand pounds, sending the Black Iron Sword flying backward.

Qin Chuan felt the intense shock, but suffered no harm.

"Excellent—tough enough!"

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Chuan could have dodged, but deliberately tested his own resilience.

The result: his toughness was indeed remarkable.

"Whirling Spear!"

The Spear Lord’s combat experience was immense; having seized the initiative, he wouldn’t miss the chance to widen his advantage.

Whirling Spear was his second active skill, using rapid rotation to deliver massive damage. With his already high sharpness, the spinning force multiplied his destructive power.

Now, Qin Chuan was airborne, and if struck, would suffer greatly.

During his flight, Qin Chuan left the Frost Spear Chill’s range—a detail he had anticipated.

Regaining his state allowed his speed advantage to shine.

At that moment, the whirling spear slashed horizontally toward him.

In the nick of time, Qin Chuan tapped the ground and shifted sideways three feet, dodging the ferocious Whirling Spear.

"A fine dodge, but it’s not enough! Whirling Spear, second stage—Whirling Stack!"

Whoosh!

The Cold Iron Spear, which had just missed, now spun back, even fiercer and quicker than before.

"Damn! Truly not simple!"

Qin Chuan forcibly controlled his sword, landing and blocking once more.

Clang!

Sparks flew; both felt the violent impact.

Qin Chuan’s Black Iron Sword flew back again, while the Cold Iron Spear rebounded into the air.

"Raging Shot Spear!"

Suddenly, a massive spear phantom appeared overhead, shooting down fiercely.

"Damn! He’s using his ultimate!"

Qin Chuan cried out and instantly used the Blink skill.

Boom!

The enormous spear phantom crashed into the ground, gouging a huge pit and sending debris flying.

"Raging Shot Spear, second stage—Raging Frenzy Spear!"

"Damn, again?!"

This attack was even fiercer than before; Qin Chuan quickly used the Flow Strike skill, targeting the outer ten meters.

Boom!

The Raging Frenzy Spear missed.

Clang!

The Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord landed but did not continue attacking. Instead, he asked, puzzled, "Why aren’t you fighting back?"

Qin Chuan zipped back to his starting point and grinned, "Rare is such an opponent—mutual respect. Don’t rush; now it’s my turn!"

The Spear Lord had unleashed all his skills, yet Qin Chuan was untouched—he was now completely at a disadvantage.

He knew well that, with his current strength, he couldn’t defeat Qin Chuan.

Qin Chuan’s attributes were monstrous, his speed overwhelming the Spear Lord. In a flash, he was at his side, delivering a standard sword strike.

Clang!

Sparks flew, leaving a moderate sword mark on the Spear Lord’s shaft.

Active attack and passive defense were different—active attacks carried absolute sharpness, so the sword’s superiority was clear.

"Good! A purple spirit weapon, truly formidable!"

Even after taking damage, the Spear Lord showed admiration instead of anger.

Qin Chuan smiled, not intending to stop; he kept moving and striking, dealing explosive damage.

Clang, clang, clang!

After more than a dozen blows, the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord was on the verge of breaking.

Qin Chuan ceased his attack, sword tip pointed at the spear.

"You’ve lost."

"Haha! Yes, I’ve lost. Go on, do it!"

Facing the Spear Lord’s heroic acceptance of death, Qin Chuan didn’t act immediately.

"I understand your pain and helplessness, but reality is cruel. So... farewell!"

Without hesitation, Qin Chuan pierced the blue spirit pearl of the Supreme Cold Iron Spear Lord.

"Ding! You have slain a level sixteen Supreme Variant Cold Iron Spear Lord. Gained 16,000 experience points; bonus for defeating a higher-level enemy: 100% extra experience. Congratulations, host, you have earned 32,000 experience points."

"Devour the source!"

"Ding! Devouring successful. Gained 2,200 evolution points."

"With this supreme kill, I’ve gained another 25% bonus to experience and source, now all at 100% amplification."