# Chapter 706: A Single Chess Piece
If Zhang Ruochen were willing, he could actually use the Buddhist Qi within the Dragon Pearl to help Shengshu Cainü purify the Death Evil Qi inside her body.
However, doing so would expose his identity.
Once Shengshu Cainü learned his true identity, he would still be walking a path to certain death.
What should he do to escape this danger?
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
Qi Hong's attacks grew increasingly ferocious, cracking the ground open continuously. The light of the Cloud Peak Coiling Dragon Formation gradually dimmed, as if it could shatter at any moment.
Shengshu Cainü looked at Zhang Ruochen, her two rows of eyelashes curving upward as she revealed a thoughtful expression. She asked, "What level has your Spiritual Power reached?"
"Forty-fourth level," Zhang Ruochen said.
There was really nothing to hide. Once Shengshu Cainü's cultivation recovered, seeing through his Spiritual Power level would not be difficult.
If he concealed it now, and she discovered the truth later, it would only arouse her suspicion.
Shengshu Cainü was slightly surprised, clearly not expecting him to have such high attainments in Spiritual Power as well.
Of course, from her perspective, forty-fourth level Spiritual Power was just so-so.
She said, "Not bad. You're only one step away from becoming a Half-Saint in Spiritual Power. Your Spiritual Power talent is no less than your martial arts talent. This makes things much easier."
"What plan does the Saint have?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Shengshu Cainü extended a snow-white hand, and from her palm surged a faint ring of light.
A black chess piece emerged from the center of the light.
It appeared to be just a small chess piece, but its surface was covered with tiny specks of light.
If one used Spiritual Power to observe, they would find that those specks were like stars suspended in the universe—dense and countless.
She handed that chess piece to Zhang Ruochen and said, "This chess piece was carved from a piece of Sacred Jade. Within it is sealed one-tenth of my Spiritual Power. If you use it properly, you might be able to kill Qi Hong with the Spiritual Power in this piece."
"Of course, you must remember—once the Spiritual Power within the piece is exhausted, it will be no different from an ordinary chess piece. If we want to survive, we must completely kill Qi Hong before that happens."
Zhang Ruochen took the chess piece. He felt a cold force surge out from within, burrowing into his palm, and almost connect with his own Spiritual Power.
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen experienced a strange sensation, as if an entirely new Spiritual Power treasury had been opened.
The Spiritual Power contained within that treasury was dozens, even hundreds of times stronger than his own.
Now, he could mobilize that mass of Spiritual Power and use it as his own.
Shengshu Cainü handed her folding fan to Zhang Ruochen and said, "This is a Spiritual Power Sacred Artifact. You only need to inject your Spiritual Power into the fan to mobilize the characters within it and convert them into attacks."
"No need. That's your Spiritual Power Sacred Artifact. It probably won't be easy for an outsider to control. I have a Spiritual Power artifact that I'm more comfortable using, and it consumes less Spiritual Power."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Thunder Pearl and held it in his hand.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen had a Spiritual Power artifact, Shengshu Cainü said no more. She withdrew her folding fan, then retreated behind a distant tombstone, sat down cross-legged, and began to focus all her strength on suppressing the Death Evil Qi within her body.
"Boom!"
Qi Hong delivered his final blow, finally breaking through the Cloud Peak Coiling Dragon Formation.
At this moment, Qi Hong was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, his expression extremely ferocious. Panting heavily, he walked toward Zhang Ruochen and said with a dry laugh, "The formation has already been broken by me, old man. Why aren't you running for your life, boy?"
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "Why should I run? You're not only severely injured now, but you've also overconsumed your Saint Qi. How much power can you still unleash?"
Qi Hong laughed even louder, looking at Zhang Ruochen as if he were an idiot. He said disdainfully, "Even if I, old man, only have one breath left, killing you would still be as easy as turning over my hand."
"Whoosh!"
Qi Hong rushed out at extreme speed, his movement technique as fast as lightning, and punched toward Zhang Ruochen's chest.
The powerful fist force formed a gourd shape—narrow in front and wide in back—spinning rapidly. If it struck Zhang Ruochen, it would surely shatter his body into pieces.
"Good timing."
Zhang Ruochen held the chess piece in one hand and the Thunder Pearl in the other. Ninety-nine bolts of lightning as thick as water vats condensed, like ninety-nine electric dragons, completely enveloping him at the center.
Seeing this scene, Qi Hong's expression changed drastically. "How is this possible..."
The ninety-nine bolts of lightning coalesced into an electric sphere and attacked Qi Hong, instantly shattering the gourd-shaped fist force.
The chaotic lightning power, like a tidal wave, engulfed Qi Hong's body.
"Sword Two."
Qi Hong clasped his hands together above his head.
Immediately, two forces—one Yin and one Yang—surged out, rapidly spinning around his body, forming a massive Taiji imprint.
"Whoosh!"
Qi Hong then shot straight upward, transforming into a pillar of sword light. He actually broke through the lightning and escaped.
"As expected of a Sword Cultivator. Even with such severe injuries, he could still break out."
Zhang Ruochen condensed his Spiritual Power again and silently chanted: "Earth-Destroying Electric Sea."
This was a second-level lightning spell, but when executed with the Spiritual Power from the chess piece, it unleashed terrifying power.
The entire sky turned into an ocean of lightning, crackling with sound, suppressing Qi Hong and forcing him to plummet rapidly toward the ground.
"Bang!"
The powerful lightning force completely enveloped the surrounding graveyard. On the ground, electric light writhed like fire snakes. Some of the lightning even burrowed into the tombs.
Strangely enough, there seemed to be something inside the tombs that absorbed all the surrounding lightning power.
Zhang Ruochen's full attention was focused on Qi Hong, not daring to be distracted in the slightest, so he temporarily didn't notice the changes in those ancient tombs.
Qi Hong was completely charred black, lying on the ground.
Even with the Meteor Invisibility Cloak protecting him, that attack had inflicted unprecedented severe injuries. His skin and flesh had turned to charcoal, with electric patterns still flowing through them.
Qi Hong's face was completely mangled. Lying on the ground, his body trembling, he said, "I have already sent a message to the Saint of the Qi family... He will soon... arrive here. Lin... Yue... if you dare... kill me, the Saint of the Qi family will definitely... grind your bones to dust."
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile and struck out with his palm, hitting Qi Hong's forehead.
"Bang!"
A blood crack split open on Qi Hong's head, and the Qi Sea in his brow shattered.
From the Qi Sea flew a white ball of light, emitting bright Sacred Light, fleeing toward the horizon.
That was Qi Hong's Half-Saint Light, containing not only the Half-Saint's Sacred Soul but also all the Half-Saint's Sacred Power.
"Trying to escape? Not so easy."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase and threw it into the air, flying above the Half-Saint Light.
A miserable scream came from within the Half-Saint Light. It shook violently but couldn't resist the power of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase and was drawn inside.
Just as Zhang Ruochen retrieved the Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase, Shengshu Cainü's voice came from behind him: "Is that a Space Treasure?"
Zhang Ruochen capped the vase, very calmly, turned around to look at her, and nodded. "That's right."
Shengshu Cainü didn't become suspicious. She only said lightly, "To obtain such a treasure, your luck is quite good."
Zhang Ruochen took out the black chess piece and handed it to her. "Returning the chess piece. The Spiritual Power inside has only been consumed by about one-fifth."
Shengshu Cainü glanced at the chess piece, a hint of unusual brilliance flickering in her beautiful eyes. "Keep it for now. I'm afraid we still have a tough battle ahead."
Zhang Ruochen didn't stand on ceremony and put the chess piece away first. He asked, "Have you refined that evil Qi?"
Shengshu Cainü gently bit her lips and shook her head. "That evil Qi is very strange. It can't be refined with Spiritual Power alone. I'm afraid I'll have to return to the Liangyi Sect and ask a Martial Saint to help refine it."
"There's no time to lose. Let's return to the Liangyi Sect now," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Not so fast."
A thoughtful expression appeared in Shengshu Cainü's eyes, and then she looked at Zhang Ruochen. "I have a question I need to ask you first."
"Please ask," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Why did Qi Hong want to kill you?"
Even though she had lost all her cultivation, Shengshu Cainü's eyes were still filled with the light of wisdom as she stared intently into Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
In fact, Shengshu Cainü still had some suspicions about Zhang Ruochen.
It was only because Zhang Ruochen had saved her, and because she had lost all her cultivation, that she didn't directly interrogate him. Instead, she chose a gentler approach, probing him from the side.
Zhang Ruochen's expression didn't change. "Because I uncovered some things that point directly at Qi Hong, and even the entire Qi family. Qi Hong wanted to silence me, so he tried to kill me."
"What did you uncover?" Shengshu Cainü asked.
Zhang Ruochen paused for a moment before saying, "The Qi family likely has some unspeakable connection with the Demon Sect."
Shengshu Cainü's eyes lit up. "Do you have evidence?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "If I had solid evidence, I would have reported it to the sect long ago. Why would I investigate privately? It was precisely because I wanted to find evidence that I followed Qi Hong all the way to that altar in Ancient God Mountain. Later, Qi Hong discovered me, and he pursued me. Saint, you're not suspecting me, are you?"
"Of course not."
Shengshu Cainü smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I've also uncovered some secrets about the Qi family. I might even know more than you. This matter is far more complicated than you imagine. However, with the Sword Discussion Conference approaching, I didn't want to alert the enemy, so I temporarily refrained from investigating deeply."
"I originally planned to slowly gather evidence after the Sword Discussion Conference, mobilize personnel from all sides, set up a net, and uproot them completely. I never expected them to jump out on their own first."