Without any superfluous probing, Lin Feng unleashed the Blue Moon Soul-Sealing Art from the very first move!!
The distance between the two was still outside the effective attack range of an ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivator. Therefore, Lin Feng's sudden assault completely took Qin Gucang by surprise. Compounded by the shock of recognizing Lin Feng, Qin Gucang was momentarily stunned. By the time he jolted awake with alarm and tried to dodge, it was already too late!
The blue moonlight cascaded down, instantly enveloping Qin Gucang entirely. Even the look of shock on his face froze in that instant. In his weakened state, he was utterly powerless to resist the might of the Blue Moon Soul-Sealing Art. His soul was completely imprisoned.
It might only last for a fleeting moment, but that was enough. Simultaneously with the moonlight trapping his foe, Lin Feng focused his will. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword at his side shot forth with a resonant hum!!
"SHIIING..." The flying sword moved like lightning, parting the seawater in its path as it streaked with chilling intent towards the utterly defenseless Qin Gucang. It seemed poised to decapitate him in a single stroke. But right at that moment...
A faint golden light flickered at the center of Qin Gucang's brow. Simultaneously, the space directly in front of him seemed to twist slightly. Golden light flared, and a golden staff, taller than a man, materialized out of thin air! As if possessing its own sentience, it flew out on its own to intercept the oncoming Crimson Soul Flying Sword!
"KRA-KOOM!!!" An ear-splitting clang echoed. Lin Feng's presumed killing blow was completely blocked!
"What?!" Lin Feng's expression morphed into one of shock and disbelief. He was certain the enemy's soul had been fully imprisoned. In such a state, how could he possibly summon a magical treasure for defense? This treasure... came out 'on its own'?!
Lin Feng instantly recalled that the staff hadn't appeared from a storage ring but seemed to emerge from Qin Gucang's brow. His pupils constricted slightly as a possibility struck him. He couldn't help but exclaim aloud, "Automatic protection... A Lifebound Magical Treasure?!"
A Lifebound Magical Treasure is the single most important artifact a cultivator possesses in their lifetime. Once refined as such, the treasure becomes intrinsically linked to the cultivator's life essence. If the treasure suffers damage, the cultivator themselves will suffer severe repercussions. The immense sacrifice required grants a significant reward: the ability to unleash over one hundred percent of the treasure's potential power. Furthermore, it endows the treasure with a degree of autonomous sentience. Under specific circumstances, even without direct command, it can act independently to defend its master—such as automatically protecting them when their life is threatened.
Additionally, 'man and weapon becoming one' is another hallmark of a Lifebound Magical Treasure. The treasure can transform into an intangible form and integrate into the cultivator's Sea of Consciousness. Crucially, a cultivator can only refine one Lifebound Magical Treasure in their entire lifetime. Even if it is destroyed, they cannot refine a second.
The staff now hovering protectively before Qin Gucang bore all the hallmarks of being precisely such a treasure. This was something Lin Feng had never anticipated. Not only had it thwarted his Crimson Soul Flying Sword's lethal strike, but it also sowed a seed of anxiety within him.
There was one more crucial restriction on refining a Lifebound Magical Treasure: it must be at least a Dao Artifact grade treasure!
The enemy actually possesses a Dao Artifact?! Why didn't he use it before?! Can I still succeed in killing him as planned?!
These thoughts flashed through Lin Feng's mind in an instant. Having missed with this strike, he knew he wouldn't get a second chance. For, in the very next moment after the staff blocked the flying sword, Qin Gucang, who had been immobilized by the Blue Moon Soul-Sealing Art, shuddered violently. He broke free from the technique's hold, his face a mask of terror as he desperately scrambled backwards.
Qin Gucang's inner turmoil was no less than Lin Feng's. He retreated in sheer panic, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the rapidly dissipating blue moon before Lin Feng. His voice trembled uncontrollably, "The Blue Moon Soul-Sealing Art!!"
It seemed his knowledge of the Blue Moon Sect was considerable, allowing him to instantly recognize the technique. This realization only amplified his shock to an unbearable degree, throwing his mind into chaos. He couldn't fathom how Lin Feng possessed this legendary art. Moreover, why was Lin Feng here, when he should be seeking the Blue Moon Sect ruins? And where was Qin Huangtian, who was supposed to be tracking them? Also, Lin Feng had clearly only been at the Golden Core stage not long ago—how had he advanced to Nascent Soul in such a short time?!
A torrent of questions flooded Qin Gucang's mind. Yet, the agile thinking of a Divine Transformation cultivator swiftly connected the dots. Almost instantly, a theory formed, one so astonishing it left him reeling: Lin Feng and his companion have already found the Blue Moon Sect ruins! They've obtained the Blue Moon Sect's inheritance! Lin Feng advanced to the Nascent Soul stage because of it... and he learned the Blue Moon Soul-Sealing Art!
To think a mere whelp would have such incredible fortune, actually acquiring the Blue Moon Sect's legacy! But to dare show himself before me now... he's truly courting death!
After the initial shock subsided, Qin Gucang rapidly regained his composure. Looking at Lin Feng, who likely possessed invaluable treasures from the Blue Moon Sect, greed and murderous intent warred in his eyes. He suddenly halted his retreat. Golden light flared around his right hand as he finally unleashed the attack he hadn't had time to execute earlier.
"SWOOSH!!" The golden light shot from his hand, coalescing into a spinning golden dharma wheel the size of a water vat. It shrieked through the water towards Lin Feng with such speed that its trajectory was almost impossible to track with the naked eye. An Xiyue, watching from afar, saw only a blur before the golden wheel seemed to slice through Lin Feng...
"Ah!" An Xiyue gasped in fright. But a split second later, she realized the Lin Feng who had been 'torn apart' merely dissolved into several wisps of green light. She understood then—it had been an illusion conjured by the Phantom Wind Thousand Shadows Art.
"What?!" Qin Gucang was once again startled by this turn of events. But his gaze snapped to the right, finding Lin Feng's real figure dozens of meters away from the dissipating illusion. Before Qin Gucang could launch another attack, however, he saw Lin Feng raise his hand. A ten-meter diameter sphere of deep crimson fire roared towards him.
"Strange Fire!!" Qin Gucang's pupils contracted slightly, but he didn't panic or evade. Instead, he snorted coldly and pointed a finger. The golden staff before him shot forward to meet the oncoming inferno.
If I can kill him and seize the Blue Moon Sect treasures, it will be worth the cost, even if my soul suffers damage! Qin Gucang thought fiercely. Though he was reluctant to admit it, another reason drove him: Right now... this is my only option...
"HMMM..." As the staff surged forward, a radiant golden aura burst forth around it, making it resemble a streaking meteor. Its speed even surpassed that of the Magma Fire! Before the fireball could fully expand and form its destructive net, the staff slammed into it!
"KABOOOM!!!" A colossal explosion detonated. Seawater within a kilometer radius churned violently. Lin Feng himself was thrown back over ten meters by the shockwave. As his vision cleared, his face paled dramatically. The Magma Fire sphere had been violently blasted apart into fragmented flames! And charging through the fiery debris, unstoppable as a spear, was the golden staff!
There was no time left to use the Phantom Wind Thousand Shadows Art to evade. A flicker of hesitation crossed Lin Feng's eyes, then vanished, replaced by steely resolve. He gritted his teeth and instantly thrust his hand forward, unleashing a streak of crimson light...
The Blood Demon Blade!
An overwhelming bloody radiance erupted from nowhere, staining the surrounding seawater a deep crimson. The Blood Demon Blade carved a bloody arc through the water. In the blink of an eye, it collided head-on with the golden staff, now only dozens of meters from Lin Feng's face.
"KER-SHAAANK!!!" The collision between the two vastly differently sized magical treasures produced an excruciatingly sharp metallic shriek. Golden light and bloody radiance mingled. For half a second, they seemed locked in place... then violently exploded apart!
The force of the detonation sent Lin Feng hurtling back another several dozen meters. Across from him, Qin Gucang staggered violently as if struck by a heavy blow, stumbling backwards several steps.
"Pfft!!" "Pfft..."
As both fighters struggled to regain their footing, they spat out a mouthful of blood, almost perfectly synchronized!