The youth reacted with astonishing speed. The moment Quinn Shepherd moved to draw his sword, he hurled himself backward and dove into the sheepskin tent.
The sheepskin tent was instantly torn to shreds as countless sword-lights shot out in every direction. Suddenly, the sword-lights froze, then plunged into the ground like a roaring dragon. The youth, having retreated into the tent, immediately burrowed underground to escape.
Boom—
A mile away in the blazing sands, eight thousand flying swords burst from the ground, swirling and rolling as they chased the youth’s silhouette into the sky.
The youth sprang into the air, suddenly spreading his arms wide. Two dazzling golden wings unfurled from his back, beating furiously as countless golden feather-swords clashed against Quinn’s sword-lights. Sparks flew with a deafening clatter, and flying swords whirled chaotically through the sky.
Quinn Shepherd reached out with a sweeping grasp. The chaotic flying swords in midair suddenly froze, converging at the center and colliding with a metallic clang, forming a rotating sphere of metal over a yard wide.
That was his Sword Pill!
Only, this Sword Pill was truly massive, hovering in the air as it spun relentlessly, exuding an intense metallic presence.
A fire tornado swept in, engulfing the youth. Yet in the next instant, he appeared atop the tornado, standing on its tip and laughing aloud: “Cult Master Quinn! Human Emperor Quinn! You really are hard to shake off! You think I’m afraid of you just because you’re covered in tattoos? Take my bow—”
The youth was Ben Coates, standing at the tip of the tornado, bowing deeply to Quinn Shepherd.
He bent low in a formal bow, and instantly a sinister altar materialized behind him. On the altar, the phantom of a demon god appeared, also bowing in ritual salute!
Quinn spread his five fingers wide and slammed his palm toward the ground. The earth beneath the fire tornado instantly twisted and churned—sand and gravel spun wildly, dragging the flaming whirlwind down into the depths of the desert.
Ben Coates, perched atop the tornado, staggered, unable to complete his bow. He glanced up—only to see that the Sword Pill had already scattered, eight thousand swords whirling like a giant, gaping maw bristling with blades, closing in to devour him.
Whirling Sword Technique.
"One Finger Fixing Rivers and Mountains!"
Inside Ben Coates, four thunderous booms erupted—four Divine Treasuries flared open at once, sending his power surging sky-high. He jabbed his left finger at the ground: the earth stopped twisting and spinning, and fire lotuses burst forth from below, freezing the desert in place.
His right hand pointed at the maw of swords overhead. Instantly, fire lotuses bloomed within the swirling jaws of flying swords, colliding with the blades and blocking Quinn's deadly attack.
Ben Coates sneered, "Cult Master Quinn, I've already broken through to the Seven Stars Treasury. Just one realm higher is a whole new sky—enough to crush you flat! Can you feel my power pressing down, crushing your hope?"
Suddenly, the fire lotuses shattered with a crash. Ben's heart jolted—"His qi is just as strong as mine! I'm Seven Stars Treasury now—how could he possibly refine his power to this level?"
As someone who's reincarnated more than ten times, Ben prided himself on his mastery of qi refinement. He wouldn't claim to be the strongest in the world, but there were few who could match him in raw power at the same realm. Quinn was one of those rare few—but even he shouldn't be able to surpass Ben by much.