Chapter 114: Elder Yi Versus Lu Zhe

"Very well, straightforward. Since that is the case, let us say no more. I will return your two junior brothers to you, and you shall give me that exotic medicine," Doctor Yi said, a faint smile appearing on his face after hearing Hua Qi's words.

Hua Qi took a deep breath, then turned to the two men holding the jar and said, "Both of you, give the exotic medicine to me."

The two men hesitated for a moment, but still handed the jar to Hua Qi.

Taking the jar, Hua Qi cradled it in his right hand, looked at Doctor Yi, and shouted, "Fine, how do you wish to trade?"

Doctor Yi pondered for a moment and said, "How about this: I will not have you come over. You send one person to deliver the medicine, and I will let those two walk over. How does that sound?"

Hearing this, Hua Qi was slightly stunned. He frowned, gritted his teeth, and a flash of anger crossed his face, but he said nothing. He waved his left hand toward the two men standing beside him. One man stepped forward, took the medicine from Hua Qi’s hand, and walked toward Doctor Yi, clutching it with both hands.

Watching the man walk toward him with the exotic medicine, the corners of Doctor Yi’s mouth curled upward. He patted Zhuo Feng on the shoulder and said, "Very well, you may go now."

Zhuo Feng glared viciously at Doctor Yi but said nothing, simply moving toward Hua Qi’s side.

Having released Zhuo Feng, Doctor Yi extended his left hand, palm facing the middle-aged man lying on the ground gasping for breath. He curled his fingers and pulled his hand back, and a powerful suction force erupted from his palm, lifting the man off the ground. He grabbed him by the neck, looked at Hua Qi, and sneered, "You had best not play any tricks on me, or you will all die."

The man holding the jar looked back at Hua Qi. Seeing the grave expression on Hua Qi’s face after hearing Doctor Yi’s threat, he sighed. With a look of helpless resignation—as if he were parting with something dear—Hua Qi waved his hand toward the man.

Receiving the signal, the man nodded and walked toward Doctor Yi with the jar.

Watching the man draw closer, a look of satisfaction appeared on Doctor Yi’s face. Before long, the man arrived at his side.

Doctor Yi reached out and took the "Polar Mountain Fire Sunflower," nodded, and tossed the middle-aged man into the messenger's arms before walking backward with the jar in his hands.

Supporting the injured man with his arm draped over his shoulder, the messenger walked back toward Hua Qi.

"I... I am sorry, Third Senior Brother. I... I have brought shame upon you," the middle-aged man said weakly, clutching his chest as he reached Hua Qi.

"It is fine. As long as you are safe, that is all that matters," Hua Qi said consolingly, patting him on the shoulder.

***

Looking toward Doctor Yi, he had already stored the jar containing the "Polar Mountain Fire Sunflower" into his spatial ring and was closely examining the frozen Lu Zhe.

"You may leave. I do not wish to kill you," Doctor Yi’s cold voice reached the group.

"Hmph." With a cold snort and a flicker of rage on his face, Hua Qi shook his robes and said, "Let us go."

Saying this, he bent down, hoisted the prone Lei Hu onto his shoulder, and headed toward the tunnel they had arrived through. Following his lead, the others supported the wounded and walked away behind him.

Ignoring the retreating group, Doctor Yi focused his entire attention on Lu Zhe. Lu Zhe remained encased in ice. Looking at the chilling mask, Doctor Yi muttered to himself, puzzled, "Why does this mask look so much like the face of the 'Red-Horned Crystal Dragon King'?"

After staring at Lu Zhe for a while, Doctor Yi tilted his head, looking perplexed. A moment later, he slapped his thigh, seemingly having made up his mind. "Never mind, I will release him first and see." With a flick of his right hand, a small, vibrant green flame rose in his palm.

With a toss of his hand, the flame shot toward Lu Zhe like a meteor, and moments later, it transformed into a raging fire burning upon him.

As the flames burned, the ice on Lu Zhe’s body melted drop by drop, hitting the ground and eventually evaporating on the scorching surface. As the ice gradually thawed, Lu Zhe’s eyes turned red once again.

"ROAR!!" Finally, when the ice had melted to the thickness of a finger, Lu Zhe let out a massive roar, shattering the remaining ice on his body.

"Wow." Seeing Lu Zhe break free, Doctor Yi simply uttered a calm, indifferent exclamation, showing no further signs of surprise or fear.

With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the green flames back into his body. Looking at the red-eyed Lu Zhe, he asked with some curiosity, "Do you still recognize me?"

"ROAR, ROAR, ROAR!" Lu Zhe roared three times in succession, then raised his hand to strike at Doctor Yi!

"It seems you do not recognize me. Controlled, are you?" Doctor Yi said with composure as he watched Lu Zhe attack.

He reached out to block the strike, then landed a palm strike on Lu Zhe’s chest, sending him flying several yards away.

"You have quite thick skin," Doctor Yi said lightly, rubbing his hands as he felt the texture from the impact.

***

Sent flying several yards away by the strike, Lu Zhe suddenly flapped the wings on his back to steady himself. With another earth-shaking roar, he opened his mouth wide, and a red orb of energy appeared before him.

"Beast King’s Wrath?" Having observed the battle from the start, Doctor Yi felt no surprise when Lu Zhe used this technique.

The red orb grew larger and larger. When it reached the size of a ping-pong ball, Lu Zhe bit down on it, and a massive pillar of red energy erupted from his mouth, shooting straight at Doctor Yi!

"Hmm." Staring at the powerful pillar of energy, Doctor Yi tilted his mouth and held up his left hand to block it.

*BOOM.*

The energy pillar slammed heavily into Doctor Yi’s palm, but it was as if it had hit an immovable object; the entire beam suddenly stalled.

"Not bad," Doctor Yi said with satisfaction as he looked at the beam, which was over a foot wide, blocked by his left hand. He then began to walk forward.

As Doctor Yi slowly advanced, the distance between him and Lu Zhe shortened, and the formidable energy pillar gradually grew shorter as well.

Reaching Lu Zhe, Doctor Yi looked at him as he kept his mouth agape, still unleashing the "Beast King’s Wrath." He frowned slightly and said, "To waste spiritual energy in such a way—what a pity. Let me stop it for you!" A cold glint flashed in his eyes as his left hand suddenly pinched the air; the entire red energy pillar vanished in an instant.

The energy pillar suddenly disappeared, and Lu Zhe froze, looking taken aback. Before he could react, Doctor Yi kicked him squarely into the nearby stone wall.

After kicking him away, a flick of Doctor Yi’s sleeve produced four gleaming silver needles in his hand.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish.* Doctor Yi rapidly fired the four needles at Lu Zhe’s joints, and moments later, they were deeply embedded in place.

"ROAR!" Feeling the foreign objects pierce his body, Lu Zhe let out a roar, only to find that he could no longer move.

Watching the struggling, snarling Lu Zhe, Doctor Yi gave a faint smile. With another shake of his left sleeve, a single steel needle appeared in his hand.

"Sigh, it seems I, the master, must handle this personally. What a troublesome disciple," Doctor Yi lamented, and with the needle in hand, he walked toward Lu Zhe.