With the deafening boom, the spectators atop the south peak all felt a jolt in their hearts.
Someone muttered in a pale voice,
“Two Vajras, and that even stronger expert in the sky. Silver Gong Xu is in great danger in this battle.”
The crowd immediately fell silent. Even those from the jianghu who had blind admiration for Xu Qi’an could clearly see the current situation.
“There will be other helpers, right?”
Someone else tried to offer comfort.
Rongrong took a deep breath, clenched her fists, pursed her lips, and her face was filled with tension.
Young Master Liu sighed inwardly. On the one hand, he worried for Silver Gong Xu. On the other, he turned his head to look at his master, wanting to say, “See, this is why I never pursued her.”
Rongrong, like him, already had someone in her heart, someone she should not be thinking about.
The difference was, the one Rongrong cared for was even more unattainable.
But the middle-aged swordsman simply clutched his beloved sword, staring unwaveringly at the distant battlefield, paying no attention to his disciple’s inner turmoil.
At this moment, Cao Qingyang and the others flew through the air and arrived at the top of the south peak.
“Alliance Leader!”
A group of warriors hurried forwards to greet him.
“Alliance Leader, do we have other helpers?”
“Can the old Alliance Leader come out of seclusion? We can’t let Silver Gong Xu fight alone, he can’t beat so many experts.”
“Which saint is that woman in the sky?”
A barrage of questions erupted as the group all spoke at once.
Cao Qingyang frowned, took his seat silently by the cliff’s edge, and began to meditate.
Xiao Yuenu spoke in a deep voice,
“Silence!”
“When has Silver Gong Xu ever been defeated?”
With this simple sentence, it was as if the final word had been spoken, instantly quieting the surrounding clamour.
In their minds, they recalled the stories and rumours of Silver Gong Xu, realising that he had indeed never suffered defeat.
Whether it was battles with the Buddhist sect, the Yunzhou rebels, standing alone at Yuyang Pass, or slaying the tyrant sovereign,—
He had never lost, as if favoured by heaven itself, fortune on his side.
Miss Rongrong exhaled and unclenched her fists.
The women of Wanhua Tower gathered around their own Tower Master, crowding together at the cliff’s edge to watch the battle.
…
Rubble and gravel tumbled as Xu Qi’an pulled himself out, his expression more grave than ever.
Whether it was Vajra Dufan, Vajra Du’nan, or Master of Rain Nalan Tianlu, all were stronger than he was at present. If his cultivation had recovered, he might have been able to suppress one of the Vajras.
But right now, for him to take on three at once was asking too much.
They don’t know why I’m trying to stall for time, that’s my greatest advantage. Just a quarter of an hour, as long as I hold on for a quarter-hour, once the old Alliance Leader comes out of seclusion, he can cooperate with me to turn the tide.
Hmm, I’m not alone either. I still have the Sovereign Sword and the Taiping Sabre.
His train of thought ended there, because above, thunderclouds were gathering, and a thunderbolt as thick as a water vat struck down once again.
At the same time, Dongfang Wanrong reached out again, using the curse of death against him.
“Boom!”
Blinding, blue-white lightning swallowed him.
Xu Qi’an reappeared several dozen feet away, unscathed by the thunderbolt. Just now, he had relied on “fortune” to avoid the effects of the curse.
This type of curse, cast without any medium, was not only greatly weakened, but also prone to being blocked. Previously, Nalan Tianlu had relied on his high status and authority to force Xu Qi’an into making a mistake.
This time, Xu Qi’an used his “good fortune”, and Nalan Tianlu’s strike resulted in a “miss”.
He used shadow-jumping to escape.
As soon as he steadied himself, Vajra Du’nan had already charged, leaping with all his might. With the collapsing ground adding force, he pounced at Xu Qi’an, striking at his neck with a chop of his hand.
“Buddha Son, since you refuse to submit to the Buddhist sect, then let your soul enter samsara.”
His palm, shaped like a blade, gathered power and seemed as keen as a legendary divine weapon.
In truth, given a Vajra’s physical might, this chop was no different from a blow delivered by a divine weapon.
Even a third-rank martial artist would have his defences shattered if struck by it.
Vajra Du’nan’s aim was obvious, he wanted to take Xu Qi’an’s head.
Third-rank martial artists were famed for their undying bodies, but at the initial stage, being decapitated meant death. Only after reaching the middle stage, with deepened vitality, could they overcome this flaw.
However, if decapitated and sealed, a martial artist would gradually exhaust their life force through endless attempts at rebirth, ultimately perishing.
Vajra Dufan silently appeared behind Xu Qi’an, also shaping his hands like blades and stabbing for Xu Qi’an’s back, aiming at his heart.
Controlling Dongfang Wanrong, Nalan Tianlu once again raised his palm, unleashing a curse of death. This time, he succeeded.
Xu Qi’an’s body was about to be swallowed by shadow, but was interrupted, and the shadows receded like the tide.
These three beyond-mortal experts combined their efforts to kill him in one swift strike.
At this critical moment, a figure dashed over on a flying sword with a howl like the wind, lying in ambush nearby, Li Lingsu seized the opportunity, raising the Huntian Mirror towards Xu Qi’an and the two Vajras.
Suddenly, Vajra Dufan and Du’nan’s bodies seized up, their eyes showing brief confusion. Their heaven souls had been forcefully pulled halfway out.
That power immediately waned, failing to succeed in full.
But it bought Xu Qi’an a precious moment to catch his breath. Calmly twisting aside, he weaved between the two hand-blades, spinning around like a windmill.
The Sovereign Sword and the Taiping Sabre swept out.
Clang, clang, clang… The sabre-blade whirlwind struck sparks from the Vajras’ necks, and finally, with a wet slicing noise, the necks of both Vajras were cut open, spraying dark gold blood.
Wherever their dark golden blood landed, plants, grass, all withered instantly.
The effect of the heaven souls leaving their bodies only lasted a moment. The two Vajras, seeing they’d lost the initiative, clutched their necks and withdrew.
By then, Li Lingsu had already fled.
Craftily, he escaped from the cover of the thunderclouds, avoiding a fatal lightning strike from Nalan Tianlu.
Don’t recognise me, don’t recognise me…
Li Lingsu flew through the forest on his sword, using the trees for cover.
“I haven’t even had the chance to change my appearance, damn you, Xu Qi’an, I never should have saved you. Isn’t dying to a heavenly tribulation just what a despicable man deserves?”
He muttered as he sped away.
“Silver Gong Xu has broken through the Vajras’ golden bodies…”
To the spectators on the south peak, this scene was a dramatic turn of events, their eyes lighting up.
Cao Qingyang and the others’ expressions eased.
At least now, they knew Silver Gong Xu stood a chance, he was not merely on the receiving end.
Rongrong felt joy in her heart, then noticed her master beside her, body rigid, staring blankly into the distance, her expression a mix of joy, sorrow, and anger.
Rongrong followed her gaze and saw the mountain where the man on the flying sword had vanished earlier.
That man, that man seems familiar… Rongrong frowned. The distance was too great, she could not see his eyes.
“Master?”
Rongrong called out softly.
The beautiful woman, already in her forties, snapped out of her daze, shook her head to indicate she was fine, but seemed unwilling to speak.
“Qihuan Danxiang, command the nearby beasts to find Li Lingsu’s tracks. White Tiger, you can ride the wind, and are the fastest. As soon as Qihuan Danxiang finds that filthy Daoist’s trail, take your true form and lead us in pursuit at once.”
Seeing Li Lingsu nearly turn the tide like a divine weapon falling from the heavens, Liu Hongmian hurriedly gave her orders.
White Tiger and the others had no objections, Liu Hongmian’s suggestion suited them perfectly.
…
“Hiss…”
Xu Qi’an licked a drop of dark gold blood from the Sovereign Sword, his eyes brightening as a look of delight appeared on his face.
“Such rich Vajra power. If I could drain the blood of just one of you, my Vajra Divine Art would be perfected.”
When the Vajra Divine Art was cultivated to perfection, one’s skin and blood would turn dark gold, and the essence blood would contain Vajra divine power.
Cao Qingyang, who had gained the Vajra Divine Art by absorbing his essence blood, was an example.
“How arrogant!”
Vajra Du’nan shouted.
Even though their vitality was extremely tenacious, Vajras did not possess the same regeneration abilities as martial artists… Xu Qi’an was just about to press his advantage and exploit this.
Up in the sky, “Dongfang Wanrong” once again spread her arms wide. This time, however, she did not target Xu Qi’an, but aimed them at the two Vajras instead.
A crimson glow surged from Vajra Du’nan and Vajra Dufan’s bodies, and the terrifying wounds dealt to them by the Taiping Sabre and the Sovereign Sword began writhing, the flesh rapidly healing.
Blood Spirit Technique!
This was the ability of a ninth-rank Blood Spirit Master.
It stimulated the target’s or one’s own potential, and was often used to create fearless, pain-immune death warriors.
Nalan Tianlu had triggered the vitality of the two Vajras, temporarily granting them self-healing on par with third-rank martial artists.
Truly troublesome. Warlock abilities are so flamboyant. There are still ten minutes left…
Xu Qi’an took a deep breath to calm himself.
Having helped Du’nan and Dufan recover, Nalan Tianlu ceased simply supporting, and performed a seal with both hands, summoning a phantom from between heaven and earth.
The phantom’s features were indistinct, but there was a faint vertical eye on its forehead. Its upper body was human, the lower half a serpent’s body, a Yao.
By blood, this phantom was the grandfather of the great Yao, Zhujiu.
A serpent Yao with lineage of gods and demons.
Four hundred years ago, Nalan Tianlu, as Master of Rain, had slain him on the northeastern steppes.
Once the phantom was summoned, “Dongfang Wanrong” raised her hand, and bolts of lightning crashed from the clouds above, gathering in her palm to form a spear of thunder.
“Xu Qi’an, Wei Yuan first cut down my physical body, and then killed my only son.”
“Dongfang Wanrong” looked down on him, and spoke slowly:
“He died at Mount Jing City, karma coming around. But my vengeance is not yet quenched. You are the junior he prized most, today I shall slay you!”
Clutching the Thunder Spear, she dived down, trailed by countless crackling arcs.
At the same time, Vajra Du’nan and Vajra Dufan became golden streaks, attacking Xu Qi’an from either side.
“One day, I’ll flatten Mount Jing City, cut down the Warlock God, and finish your Warlock legacy for good… Supress!”
Xu Qi’an roared.
The Stupa Tower vibrated, erupting with blinding golden light. An incomparably mighty and majestic aura descended, pressing down on Dongfang Wanrong.
It abruptly broke her ferocious dive.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seizing this opportunity, Xu Qi’an wielded both sabre and sword, brawling with the two Vajras.
The miraculous abilities of a Transforming Force martial artist allowed him to easily split attention, parrying the combined assault of both Vajras.
His undying body’s great endurance and vitality meant that, as long as his head was not severed, even if struck by a Vajra’s heavy fist, he could regenerate in an instant. His stamina surpassed the Buddhist Vajras by several times.
In contrast, the two Vajras soon became covered with fine sword marks, as if a normal person had been slashed with a small blade. Though merely flesh wounds, blood splattered.
This was the utmost the Sovereign Sword could achieve.
A Vajra’s bodily defence exceeded even that of a third-rank martial artist at the same stage.
Behind Dongfang Wanrong, the phantom’s vertical eye on its brow began to twitch. Suddenly, a jet-black ray shot out and struck the Stupa Tower.
The imposing aura around it suddenly waned, and Dongfang Wanrong stretched out her hand, casting a curse of death on the Stupa Tower.
Clang!
From within the Stupa Tower came a violent tremor, a sound like a bell tolling.
The curse of death could also affect artifact spirits.
As the curse took effect, Nalan Tianlu did not stubbornly fight the magical treasure. Instead, he swung the thunder spear down hard on the tower.
With a thunderous crash, the golden light shattered into fragments, the Stupa Tower tumbled through the air, crashing into a distant mountain and toppling it, sending millions of tons of stone and earth flying, an awe-inspiring display.
This is what a beyond-mortal battle was.
The mountain’s collapsed…
The crowd on the south peak watched in stunned silence, overwhelmed by a sense of their own insignificance.
The Stupa Tower can only restrain, not stand against a second-rank… Xu Qi’an steeled himself. Although he had never underestimated Master of Rain Nalan Tianlu, his display of power sent chills down his spine.
He was truly a deadly threat to him.
At his peak, Nalan Tianlu had been a second-rank Master of Rain at the summit of his power.
After losing his physical body, his cultivation dropped slightly, but a Warlock’s main strength lay in their soul, and so the decline was minimal.
But Xu Qi’an was actually thankful he was a Warlock, not a martial artist or a sword-cultivator like Luo Yuheng, for those two paths were famed for their lethality.
Warlocks, on the other hand, were known for their weird tricks and command of others. The battlefield was their domain, but their direct killing skill was a little weaker.
Sizzle…
The thunder spear crashed down from above, and Xu Qi’an’s body seemed to instantly “melt” into the lightning, only to reappear in the shadow beneath a tree several dozen metres away.
No sooner had he landed than Nalan Tianlu, having seemingly foreseen his move, had the phantom above him suddenly turn its head, the vertical eye shooting forth a jet-black beam.
It struck him squarely, dissolving the flesh of his chest and leaving him paralysed.
“Before the arts of divination, your shadow-leaping has long since been under my control.”
Nalan Tianlu said coldly.
At that moment, Vajra Du’nan opened his palm, revealing a smear of fresh blood.
Xu Qi’an’s blood.
It had been intentionally taken in their earlier clash.
Nalan Tianlu brushed her fingertip across it to pick up some of the blood, then aimed her open palm at Xu Qi’an.
This time, it was a blood-catalysed curse of death, wielded by a second-rank Master of Rain.
With the status of a second-rank Master of Rain and blood as the medium, casting a curse of death upon a third-rank martial artist might not be instantly fatal, but it would at least inflict grievous wounds.
Crucially, using blood as the medium and the Master of Rain’s status allowed Nalan Tianlu to effectively suppress Xu Qi’an’s “fortune protection”, guaranteeing a one hundred percent hit rate.
Thud, thud, thud… Amidst tremors, the two Vajras, naturally unwilling to pass up such a golden opportunity, charged forward, one driving a fist at Xu Qi’an’s chest, corroded by the jet-black ray, the other forming his palms into a sabre to sever his neck.
Three beyond-mortal experts, once again, joined forces to create a death trap.
And this time, Li Lingsu was unable to appear in time.
Hiss!
A page of paper burst into flame, silently.
“No effect!”
A beam of clear light shot up from under Xu Qi’an’s feet, imbued with righteous qi, rendering him impervious to all evil.
The page that Zhao Shou had given him, inscribed with the magic of a third-rank expert at the peak of his power.
The curse of death failed to take effect. Xu Qi’an’s body “melted” and reappeared far away.
He had once again evaded certain death.
With just the cultivation of early third rank, he had been able to hold out in battle with two Vajras and a Master of Rain all the way until now.
The spectators on the south peak had been holding their breath for him.
The corner of Vajra Du’nan’s eye twitched, and he felt a surge of uncontrollable anger.
With the combined might of three men, they had, time after time, allowed him to escape, still unable to bring him down.
Such a troublesome opponent.
The Asura Vajra put his palms together. “Amitabha!”
He recited the Buddha’s name, calming the agitation in his heart.
Five minutes left. The Confucian spell can last another two minutes. During this time, I don’t need to worry about Nalan Tianlu’s curse of death. I can afford some close combat…
Xu Qi’an lifted the brass sword and the Taiping sabre and advanced of his own accord to face the three.
In this fight, there did not exist any back-and-forth or heated exchanges.
Because with Nalan Tianlu, a second-rank Master of Rain, present, as long as he caught and controlled Xu Qi’an, Xu Qi’an would have died on the spot.
It was as if he were walking a tightrope on a cliff edge, on the brink of death at any moment.
This was the price of standing alone against three beyond-mortals.
But now, with the protection of the Confucian righteous qi, he could block the shadowy black light and the curse of death. At this moment, Nalan Tianlu was only equivalent to a third-rank martial artist (via Soul Summoning).
He now faced only three third-rank martial artists.
As everyone knows, martial artists were crude.
No need to fear them!
The four launched into a chaotic melee. Relying on the sharpness of the Taiping sabre and the Sovereign Sword, Xu Qi’an fought one against three. Though he was battered and in a sorry state, he forced his three enemies to pay in blood all the same.
Their clash caused landslides and destroyed half of the main peak.
This was only because Xu Qi’an would, from time to time, leap into the air and shift the battlefield skyward.
Two minutes passed quickly. The clear light enveloping Xu Qi’an dissipated.
Seeing this, Nalan Tianlu decisively withdrew, smeared his palm with the blood of Xu Qi’an he had collected, and cast the curse of death once more.
Hiss!
The paper burnt, the dissipated clear light flared up again, and the curse of death failed.
Xu Qi’an pulled out a stack of paper, bit it in his mouth, and said with a grin,
“Go on, keep trying.”
The two Vajras were furious.
“You have underestimated me.”
Nalan Tianlu replied mildly, “Did you think a Master of Rain can only call wind and summon rain?”
“Isn’t that so?” Xu Qi’an retorted, happy to stall for time with conversation.
“That is because you do not know the true nature of a Master of Rain. The next rank after Master of Rain is Great Warlock, and the Great Warlock can use the laws of heaven and earth to merge with the world, letting the world’s power work for him.
“He can even drain the strength from this whole land, turning fertile earth into wasteland for a thousand li. That a Master of Rain can summon rain is just the first step to wielding the world’s power.”
Nalan Tianlu sighed, “I have lost my flesh body, and I did not intend to forcefully draw on this world’s power, as it will bring backlash upon me.”
He spread his arms and intoned deeply:
“Wind, come!”
A hurricane swept for a hundred miles around Quanrong Mountain, whirling sand and stones.
“Rain, come!”
Black clouds covered the sky above Quanrong Mountain, thunder crackled, lightning flashed, and torrential rain poured down.
In this terrible storm, Xu Qi’an saw trees rapidly wither, fertile earth turning to sand, rocks decaying… The powers of the five elements were stripped away, turned to raw force, and poured into Nalan Tianlu’s body.
He seemed like the master of the world.
A similar ability had been used by the Great Warlock against Wei Yuan once before.
Such god-like methods… Caught in the storm, Cao Qingyang and the others shivered uncontrollably.
“Plop…”
Someone could not stand it any longer and knelt in the wind and rain, bowing low, as if in repentance, as if begging for mercy.
Lower-ranked martial artists all dropped to their knees. It was not their will but the might of heaven that made it impossible to straighten their legs.
Cao Qingyang and the other fourth-rank martial artists did not kneel but trembled all over, barely holding on.
Winning is impossible… This thought flashed through everyone’s mind.
Before such a power, Silver Gong Xu’s myth of invincibility carried no weight at all.
Despair!
Despair welled up in Xu Qi’an’s heart.
The rain poured down on his head like never-ending cold water, dousing his fighting spirit.
The wind battered him as if urging him to run for his life.
The martial artist’s sense of crisis was screaming: every cell howled, “Run!”
Xu Qi’an felt he was not facing an opponent, but the whole of heaven and earth.
At this moment, it was as if he had returned to Yuyang Pass, to that long night sitting on the city wall.
Below the walls, eighty thousand enemy troops. Behind him, the tyrant Emperor Zhende.
No future in sight, no hope of escape.
With no way out, there was no retreat!
It was under such circumstances that he had grasped Broken Jade.
“Buzz!”
The Sovereign Sword vibrated violently.
The Taiping sabre slipped from its master’s hand and floated silently to the side.
“Righteous qi!” he whispered.
Hiss… all the sheets of paper burned at once, transforming into righteous qi, layering over him again and again.
Amid wind and rain, with the sky darkening, Xu Qi’an stood in mid-air, looking down at the Master of Rain like a deity in his own right.
“Nalan Tianlu, do you dare wager your life with me!”
His mighty roar rumbled across heaven and earth like thunder.
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