Chapter 3837 — A Sorry Flight

With martial techniques, no matter how abundant one's true qi might be, the upper limit of the power they could unleash was ten—capped by one's cultivation level. True qi bombs were different. So long as there was enough true qi, the resulting destructive force could reach fifteen, twenty, or even more!

Of course, every advantage carried its price. The precondition for such explosive power was not only a vast reserve of true qi, but also ample time to build up the charge beforehand—something utterly impractical in actual combat. After all, an opponent was hardly going to stand there like a fool, waiting for you to knead your true qi bomb into shape before tossing it onto his head, was he?

Thus, when Wei Zhao had been in the mortal world before, beyond their use in real combat, the true qi bomb's primary purpose had been deterrence—its nature essentially that of a nuclear weapon.

Though of little value in genuine combat, the true qi bomb was a perfect, tailor-made means for Wei Zhao to turn the tables and resolve the crisis before him now.

He had known all along that Nan Tianyong and Yu Jiang were lying in wait for him. The moment he stepped beyond the Inner Street entrance, what awaited him would inevitably be a savage, relentless hunt to the death.

And though Nan Tianyong and Yu Jiang wished they could tear Wei Zhao limb from limb, they did not dare make a move inside the Hong Trading Company. So long as he stayed within its walls, Wei Zhao could calmly and safely charge up his true qi bomb.

That actually made things wonderfully easy for Wei Zhao. Build up the true qi bomb as much as possible inside the Hong Trading Company, then step out and hurl it onto Nan Tianyong's head—and everything would be settled!

A true qi bomb condensed over a full hour—what did that even mean? Wei Zhao had been refining it continuously while constantly replenishing his physical strength and true qi! With time to spare and no one to disturb him, he did not stop until he was on the verge of losing control of it altogether!

Even Wei Zhao himself had never done anything so insane. Though in theory a true qi bomb could absorb limitless true qi and its power rise without bound, the precondition was that one could keep it under control.

Even a true qi bomb was still a bomb, through and through. The more true qi condensed, the greater the power—and the harder to control. Once it surpassed the limit one could manage, the slightest slip during the process meant it might well explode in your own hands long before you ever threw it at anyone!

As for just how powerful a true qi bomb he could control, Wei Zhao had never tested it and naturally had no idea. But this time the arrow was already on the string and had to fly. Even knowing the risk, he had to do it.

After all, Nan Tianyong was a genuine peak late-Foundation Establishment expert, fully four levels above Wei Zhao. Facing such a crushing disparity in strength, even a true qi bomb capable of striking above one's level would struggle to have any effect if it had not been charged for a sufficient length of time.

And Wei Zhao would have only one chance. If this true qi bomb failed to kill his opponent, there would be no second opportunity. Only one fate awaited him—certain death.

So Wei Zhao had recklessly, madly charged it for a full hour, distinctly feeling the true qi bomb grow somewhat unstable, having reached the very limit of what he could control—only then did he finally step out of the Hong Trading Company and face Nan Tianyong and Yu Jiang, master and disciple, up close and in person, and provoke them!

Out of the same misgivings as Nan Tianyong, Wei Zhao did not dare simply hurl this true qi bomb into the crowded marketplace. After all, once the thing left his hand, it was beyond his control. It would injure the innocent, and—more to the point—might easily draw the attention of experts one must never provoke. That would be a loss far outweighing the gain.

So Wei Zhao exhausted every trick at his disposal, spent every ounce of effort, to lure Nan Tianyong out of the marketplace—and then hurl this top-grade true qi bomb, charged for a full hour, right into his face!

The true qi bomb had always been a technique of mutual destruction and indiscriminate slaughter. Though Wei Zhao still had his doubts about whether it could kill Nan Tianyong, of one thing he was certain: this bomb would have no trouble at all killing himself.

The instant he released the true qi bomb, Wei Zhao without hesitation wrapped himself tightly in every scrap of his true qi and fled the blast center with all his might.

Yet even having taken such precautions, Wei Zhao's condition at this moment was thoroughly wretched—so wretched that "wretched" no longer sufficed. Only one other word would do: pitiful.

His entire body was scorched black, many places reduced to a bloody, mangled mess. Though in truth he had not exchanged even a single move with his opponent, the injuries Wei Zhao bore now were far worse than what he had suffered even when he had fought Yu Jiang, a mid-Foundation Establishment expert, head-on to the death.

And this was merely the aftermath of his own true qi bomb—and he had shielded himself thoroughly with true qi beforehand. By contrast, Nan Tianyong, who had been entirely unprepared and had taken Wei Zhao's true qi bomb full in the face, was a peak late-Foundation Establishment expert—one could well imagine his miserable state.

With a full four-level suppression of cultivation, had Nan Tianyong been even slightly on guard, the strongest killing move of any peak early-Foundation Establishment expert would have been a joke before him—incapable of inflicting any real injury. So to claim he had not underestimated Wei Zhao would be an outright lie!

And it was precisely because he had underestimated his foe that this time he was truly, thoroughly ruined by Wei Zhao!

To ensure the true qi bomb in his hand would actually hit its target, Wei Zhao had not hesitated to stake even himself. Otherwise, had they been too far apart, Nan Tianyong's strength would have allowed him to react in time and mount a response.

But now the two of them were so close that no matter how formidable Nan Tianyong was, he had no chance to react.

The top-grade true qi bomb, charged for a full hour, was hurled straight into his face without the slightest warning. Nan Tianyong barely had time to curse "Ai ya!" before a thunderous roar split the air and everything went black before his eyes!

A peak late-Foundation Establishment expert, no less—and just like that, Wei Zhao had schemed him into a bloody head and, without a word, blasted him flat on his face, dead or alive unknown!

Under the cover of the true qi bomb's aftershock and the billowing dust filling the sky, Wei Zhao did not bother at all to check whether Nan Tianyong was dead or alive. The only thing he had to do now was run.

Rare as this opportunity was, Wei Zhao ought to have rooted out Nan Tianyong and Yu Jiang, master and disciple, once and for all. Otherwise, should he encounter the pair again, it would be very hard to get another full hour to charge a true qi bomb as he had this time—and then he would have no means of fighting back at all.

But circumstances would not permit it. Were Wei Zhao to dare turn back, never mind whether he could finish off Nan Tianyong—in his current state, he himself was absolutely doomed.