Loong Tengyu, at the Ninth Level Golden Core, unleashed his flying sword with devastating swiftness. Lin Feng scarcely saw a flash of gold light before a wave of deathly aura crashed over him!
Fortunately, he'd been primed and ready. The instant Loong Tengyu raised his hand, Lin Feng reacted without hesitation. With a decisive flick of his own wrist, the Soulburner Sword beside him emitted a sharp, resonant cry and shot forth with equally fierce momentum!!
Two streaks of sword light collided in the blink of an eye. "CLANG!!" A resounding clash echoed as both swords shuddered mid-air, rebounding violently off each other!
This single exchange caused the faces of all four Juejian Sect members to shift dramatically, disbelief etched onto their features. Even Loong Tengyu gasped out in shock and uncertainty, "A Top-grade Spiritual Artifact!!!"
In this clash, the Soulburner Sword had revealed its full power, allowing them to discern its grade. This discovery was profoundly unsettling. Previously, seeing Lin Feng flying on a sword at the First Level Golden Core had merely suggested a high-tier cultivation technique. After all, Wei Wuyi, who had fought Lin Feng, had claimed his flying sword was a Mid-grade Spiritual Artifact. A Mid-grade artifact was already enough to incite envy; most Golden Core cultivators in Juejian Sect wielded only Low-grade Spiritual Artifact flying swords. Even Sect Master Loong Tengyu himself used a High-grade Spiritual Artifact flying sword. Top-grade artifacts were rare even among Nascent Soul powerhouses, let alone flying swords of that caliber. Their shock was utterly justified.
It was precisely this superior grade that allowed the Soulburner Sword to deflect Loong Tengyu's strike.
And nothing captivated the disciples of the Sword Sect more than a high-grade flying sword. Therefore, after the initial shock, boundless ecstasy surged within Loong Tengyu and his companions!!
Although Loong Tengyu's group was stunned only momentarily, Lin Feng seized that fleeting opportunity. Ignoring his still-vibrating sword, he raised his left hand. A blinding sphere of white light erupted from his palm!!
"White Tiger Soulrage Talisman!!"
The moment the light flared in Lin Feng's grasp, Loong Tengyu, who was just preparing his next attack, and the other three men, all constricted their pupils. Loong Tengyu instantly abandoned his offensive stance. Instead, his left hand blurred as he produced a milky white talisman.
"ROOOARRR!!!"
In the next heartbeat, the white light coalesced before Lin Feng, solidifying into the form of the White Tiger Soul. A powerful spiritual pressure radiated outwards, shaking the air as an earth-shaking roar erupted. The spectral tiger lunged through the air, pouncing straight towards Loong Tengyu!
However, concurrent with the White Tiger Soul's attack, Loong Tengyu activated his talisman. With a resonant hum, a milky white barrier, nearly invisible to the naked eye, shimmered into existence before him, shielding both himself and the three men behind him.
In a flash, the White Tiger Soul reached Loong Tengyu. But then came a dull thud. Lin Feng watched in horror as the tiger soul slammed against the transparent barrier and bounced back, completely blocked!!
The White Tiger Soul was a spiritual entity; ordinary physical attacks and defenses were meaningless against it. For this barrier to halt it meant it must be a specialized talisman designed specifically to counter soul attacks!
Lin Feng's heart filled with rage and dismay; his expression darkened several shades. His preparations are thorough! He even anticipated the White Tiger Soulrage Talisman and brought a defense for it! What can I do now?!
While Lin Feng frantically scrambled for a plan, his enemies didn't grant him time. Two figures – one left, one right – darted around the White Tiger Soul still snarling before Loong Tengyu, streaking towards Lin Feng like arrows!
Seeing the tiger soul blocked, Wei Wuyi and another elder in dark green robes behind Loong Tengyu had seized the chance to charge and capture Lin Feng.
No sooner had they surged forward than two flying swords whistled through the air, aimed directly at Lin Feng. Faced with this imminent danger, a fierce light gleamed in Lin Feng's eyes. Astonishingly, he didn't cease channeling energy into the White Tiger Soul, nor did he attempt to dodge. Instead, with a mental command, he activated the Luminous Jade Bracelet on his left wrist. A layer of dense, golden light, solid as tangible armor, instantly enveloped his body. "CLANG! CLANG!" Two crisp impacts rang out. Sparks flew wildly before him as the luminous barrier flickered violently, threatening to shatter, but it ultimately held against the twin assaults.
The situation, however, remained grim. The two swords, repelled, swiftly returned to their masters. Wei Wuyi and the other elder were now less than ten meters away, flanking him on either side, both poised to unleash their swords again.
At this critical juncture, Lin Feng's eyes snapped into sharp focus. "Xiaoqiu!!" he commanded sharply.
"SQUEE!!" An angry chirp sounded from Lin Feng's chest. A small yellow blur shot out, landing on his shoulder. Before its form could be clearly discerned, a dazzling streak of white light shot from its tiny 'hands', speeding towards the dark green-robed elder charging from the left.
Simultaneously, Lin Feng splayed the fingers of his right hand and flicked it outward. A deep crimson fireball shot from his palm, instantly unfurling into a blazing net that swept towards Wei Wuyi, intent on ensnaring him.
"Strange Fire!!" Wei Wuyi's pupils shrank. Knowing the terrifying power of these flames, he dared not face them head-on. He instantly aborted his charge and scrambled backward, trying desperately to evade the attack.
Unlike Wei Wuyi, the dark green-robed elder had no idea what was hurtling towards him. To his eyes, it moved slowly, like a stone tossed by a child. Yet, caution prevailed. With a thought, the flying sword hovering before him slashed out to intercept the incoming white light.
As his sword met the streaking radiance, the elder finally glimpsed the object within the glow. He froze, bewildered. "A Top-grade Spirit Stone?!"
But before he could ponder why an enemy would suddenly hurl a Top-grade Spirit Stone at him, he felt the stone abruptly erupt with light dozens of times more intense. Simultaneously, an overwhelming wave of violent, terrifying spiritual energy erupted from within it!
"BOOOM!!!"
There was no time for reaction. The Top-grade Spirit Stone Xiaoqiu had thrown detonated mid-air. A visible shockwave of pure energy blasted towards the elder. Amidst the deafening roar, there was a distinct sound of shattering. Fragments of flying sword sprayed outwards in a deadly hail, the majority hurtling straight back at him!
"ARRRGGHHH!!!" The dark green-robed elder was instantly engulfed by the explosion. A scream of pure terror and agony tore through the air as his body was hurled backward like a ragged sack. A shower of blood rained down as he flew over a dozen meters before crashing to the ground. He lay there, a gory pulp, clearly beyond saving.
"What?!"
The scene sent waves of utter horror crashing over Loong Tengyu and his remaining companions. They stared, aghast, at the dying elder, their eyes wide with disbelief bordering on incomprehension.
Not only them, but even Lin Feng felt a jolt of shock. He hadn't anticipated the explosive power of Xiaoqiu using a Top-grade Spirit Stone would be so horrifyingly potent, instantly annihilating a Mid-Golden Core expert! The effort, however, had completely drained Xiaoqiu. It slumped limply on Lin Feng's shoulder, seemingly unable to move a muscle.
Lin Feng couldn't spare a moment to check on Xiaoqiu. Capitalizing on his enemies' paralyzed shock, he struck again. His right hand clenched into a claw and swept towards Wei Wuyi on his right. The net of flames, which Wei Wuyi had nearly managed to dodge, suddenly surged with renewed ferocity. The fire tripled in intensity and accelerated explosively, sweeping down to engulf Wei Wuyi!
"AHH!" Distracted by the horrific fate of his comrade, Wei Wuyi reacted a fraction too late. Seeing the fire net descend upon him, his face drained of all color. With a desperate swing of his sole remaining arm, the flying sword hovering above him shot upwards. It slashed through the center of the descending net. But the severed halves of the fiery web didn't disperse. They continued their deadly fall! At the very last second, Wei Wuyi activated his own luminous protective treasure. A golden barrier sprang up around him moments before the flames touched down. The fire splashed against the barrier, clinging to its surface and completely encircling him in a cocoon of lethal flames.
The scene was chillingly identical to Loong Tian'ao's demise. Wei Wuyi, despite his precautions, found himself trapped. Panic seized him as he poured all his energy into maintaining the protective barrier. "Sect Master, save me!!" he shrieked in terror.
"DAMN YOU!!" Loong Tengyu roared, consumed by shock and fury. He had known Lin Feng possessed formidable tricks and had tried to overestimate him. To counter the White Tiger Soulrage Talisman, he'd even used an incredibly precious Fourth Rank Soul Protection Talisman. He assumed that while he held off the tiger soul, the others could easily capture Lin Feng. Yet, he still hadn't anticipated Lin Feng possessing another devastating, unknown method! One man dead instantly, and Wei Wuyi hanging by a thread!
"KILL HIM!!" Loong Tengyu bellowed in rage, abandoning all thoughts of capture and interrogation. His sole desire now was Lin Feng's immediate death.
Before the echoes of Loong Tengyu's command faded, the remaining elder in inky black mage robes, who had been guarding his flank, surged forward. His face mirrored Loong Tengyu's fury and horror. With a sweep of his hand, a streak of sword light shot straight at Lin Feng!