"Really? For such vile intentions, you might as well use your own corpse," Shao Qi lifted his head, his eyes growing cold and steely, revealing a small glass vial in his palm.

The red thread wrapped around him grew thicker, and the other end connected to Master Wei. He cultivated by drawing life force from others, a method that also granted him extended life.

At this moment, the vial in Shao Qi's hand was empty. The poison that was previously inside was now attached to the red thread, being absorbed into the opponent's body.

"Impossible! How did you do this?" Master Wei spat out black blood, the formation instantly vanished, and the red thread around Shao Qi exploded, causing him to collapse onto the ground.

Zhou You swiftly approached, aiming a dagger at Master Wei's heart. But the master blocked with his right hand, releasing a small green snake from his sleeve. Its blood-red eyes fixed on Zhou You, causing him to hesitate.

Master Wei, holding the snake, quickly retreated. He then allowed the snake to bite his wrist. Black venomous blood oozed out, which the snake promptly licked up, and his complexion no longer appeared as dark and bruised.

"Hmph! I developed that poison. Dream on if you think you can kill me with my own creation!" Master Wei placed the snake on the ground, and with a whistle, it darted towards Shao Qi.

A white fluffy creature ran over, its paw pressing down on the snake. Zhou You hurriedly warned, "Be careful, it’s venomous!"

The little white tiger released the snake, teasing it a few times as it tried to escape, playing with it as if it were a toy.

Seeing this, Zhou You was relieved. It seemed the white tiger had the situation under control.

"Old man, do you think I only used poison? Why don't you try channeling your energy and see?" Shao Qi, looking frail, managed to stand, displaying an arrogance that belied his condition.

Master Wei turned and fled. Zhou You glanced at Shao Qi, looking for some guidance.

"Why are you looking at me? Go after him!"

Zhou You's lips twitched, "Brother, could you at least give me a heads up next time? Makes me feel pretty useless."

Shao Qi gave a weak smile, "Sorry, forgot I had backup."

Zhou You rolled his eyes, then set off in pursuit. If what Shao Qi said was true, today might be the perfect opportunity to get rid of this menace.

Shao Qi sat down heavily, adjusting his breathing and beginning to meditate.

The white tiger, having already dispatched the snake, sat down to watch Shao Qi, clearly puzzled by human behavior.

Had Zhou You been present, he would've noticed the spiritual energy around them vibrating, centered on Shao Qi, as though a storm of energy was erupting, with Shao Qi absorbing all the power from its eye.

Shao Qi's cultivation method was unique. His secret manual referred to this energy as "Qi", which upon entering the body, invigorated cells, healed wounds swiftly, and replenished energy.

From the moment Shao Qi learned about Master Wei, he began preparing. Aware that the master absorbed the life force of others, he knew a technique to poison one's own body as a counter.

Zhou You chased after Master Wei, noting his incredible speed. Their shadows blurred as they raced along the road, appearing ghostly to any onlookers.

They ran endlessly, with Master Wei enveloped in a thick black mist. Zhou You worried that he might dissolve if the chase continued.

A huge boulder descended from the sky, nearly crushing Zhou You. Master Wei glanced back, unsurprised to see Zhou You unharmed.

As Zhou You's emotions surged, the technique demonstrated by Master Wei bore resemblance to his ability to manipulate objects using internal energy. Could this be the rumored Psychic Manipulator?

Zhou You halted, wielding his inner power to hurl a large stone towards his adversary. The opponent retaliated and the stone teetered between them, eventually succumbing to the clash of their energies, exploding into fragments.

The snake venom that had afflicted Master Wei hadn't been entirely purged. Having possibly absorbed something from Shao Qi, he felt disturbances in his chi flow, with spasms along his meridians and fluctuating body temperatures.

"Are you also a Psychic Manipulator?" Struggling to conceal his discomfort, Master Wei pondered. Killing wasn't always about direct confrontation. He was deeply curious about Zhou You's cultivation technique and wouldn't mind seizing it for himself.

Zhou You proceeded forward, causing shattered stones on the ground to levitate as he passed, a sight truly awe-inspiring. "Do you believe I am?"

Over the years, Master Wei had encountered many formidable individuals, even eluding capture from Marshal Shao Yuan, but he had never seen someone like Zhou You, possessing psychic power capable of controlling hundreds of objects simultaneously.

Even he couldn’t achieve that.

"From which sect do you hail? Which martial art have you mastered? Are you aware that showcasing such prowess in public will attract countless foes, desiring to kill you for your skills? Possessing such a treasure is a curse in itself."

Zhou You responded with a nonchalant "Oh," adding, "Much like my white tiger cub? Everyone desires it upon sight. Do you know how your disciples met their end? They killed each other in a struggle to possess the cub."

While he may have exaggerated the truth slightly, Zhou You didn’t mind unnerving the old villain.

"Hmm, sounds like something they'd do," Master Wei conceded, considering this explanation more plausible than Zhou You's seemingly unfathomable martial prowess.

Continuing his advance, Zhou You seemed to be encased within a meteor belt, making him virtually impervious, even to a missile strike.

Chapter 041: I see your trembling legs, you know.

"Old man, you're feeling weak, aren't you? Uncomfortable all over? I may not know what Shao Qi did to you, but trying to hold out won’t help. I can see your shaking legs."

Zhou You teased, half in jest, half in earnest, yet he suspected his guess might not be far from the mark. Why else would Master Wei flee, especially when he began with such confidence?