Within moments, three attacks struck simultaneously, their target precisely Ji Yuan. They seemed to have seen through his concealment methods, their prior words merely a tactic to lull him before their decisive, sharp assault.
Ji Yuan, however, showed no surprise, as if he had anticipated this. Gazing at the incoming onslaught, he remained utterly unfazed. He placed a hand on his lower abdomen, his dantian, and a spectral pagoda emerged from his body. It then shrank, soaring towards his head, transforming into a seven-tiered pagoda mere inches tall.
As the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda materialized, it immediately cast down wisps of light. With Ji Yuan pouring his spiritual energy into it, it unleashed its spirit-devouring abilities to their fullest! In an instant, a significant portion of the spiritual energy from the three attacks was absorbed, weakening their power by approximately thirty percent.
Then, the small pagoda above Ji Yuan's head trembled, and with its descending radiance, it fully repelled all three assaults!
Booming sounds erupted, and the three surges of spiritual energy exploded wantonly. Brilliant lights interwove, making it impossible to discern the scene within. Despite seeing their attacks take effect and sensing a presence, the three attackers felt no joy; instead, their faces showed grimness.
In the next breath, a gentle radiance pierced through. Immediately, the trio felt their released attacks being siphoned by a power. In a short time, they had lost at least half their spiritual energy! The middle-aged woman felt it most acutely; she could sense the spiritual energy within her magical artifact dissipating. In another moment or two, its spiritual energy would be depleted, and she would lose control of it.
Seeing this, she decisively formed a hand seal, expelling the spiritual energy from her nine silver needles in one go. She then seized the opportunity to disengage, turning into a streak of light and flying back to her side. Upon seeing the dim aura of the nine silver needles and the severe damage to their spiritual essence, she felt a pang of heartache.
"Similar to the Devouring Heavens Demonic Sect's devouring power?" the scruffy big man murmured grimly, unable to comprehend why a disciple of an immortal sect would possess a technique akin to a demonic sect.
"Regardless of whether it is or not, after we kill him, we can study it at our leisure," the scholar in green robes said with a faint smile, a peculiar glint in his eyes.
As they spoke, the anomaly on the earthen mound subsided. Most of the violent spiritual energy dissipated, while the remaining portion was absorbed by some unseen power. Then, Ji Yuan, whose concealment had been torn apart by the spiritual energy, appeared in the eyes of the three. He stood calmly on the mound, a small, seven-tiered, sky-blue pagoda hovering above his head, its descending radiance shielding his slender figure.
Although they had received prior intelligence, upon seeing their target, they couldn't help but marvel. A boy of around fifteen years old had already reached their cultivation realm. Moreover, he had single-handedly withstood their combined assault!
"Truly a genius!" the scholar in green robes exclaimed, then added with a strange expression, "Coincidentally, one of my favorite pastimes is killing geniuses!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he forcefully waved his folding fan. Instantly, two fiery serpents coalesced in the gentle breeze. With a flick of his wrist, they shot through the air. Ji Yuan watched them with a composed expression. Firelight reflected on his face, and waves of heat washed over him, yet they were all blocked by the radiance around him, leaving him unaffected by the scorching heat.
He suddenly raised a hand and grasped a long whip. With a flick of his wrist, the pale blue whip extended five to six zhang, and as his spiritual energy surged into it, the whip's surface shimmered with aquatic light, appearing almost tangible! Without any visible action, the whip seemed to possess a high degree of sentience, dancing on its own and striking the two fiery serpents with intense force!
This magical artifact, which he had cultivated with his life, had naturally evolved nine restrictive layers. Although he had only refined three, it could still unleash immense power. Under its lash, the two fiery serpents immediately dissipated. Large amounts of flames fell onto the lake, extinguishing and raising mist as they did so.
Just then, Ji Yuan's brow twitched. Nine slender silver needles appeared within his perception. These needles had concealed their fluctuations and were silently flying close to the lake's surface. If he hadn't known beforehand, it would have been difficult to notice such a movement. It was only due to his powerful spiritual sense that he detected a faint killing intent within the needles, thus sensing their whereabouts!
In just a few breaths, the needles reached the earthen mound in the center of the lake. They weaved rapidly through the grass, then suddenly erupted with sharp energy, transforming into streams of light that stabbed towards his vital points. Seeing this, Ji Yuan merely willed it, and wisps of radiance converged, accurately blocking the needles, preventing them from advancing even half an inch.
However, in that moment of distraction, a figure suddenly appeared behind him, raising its fists and smashing down ferociously! The fists, no smaller than sand pots, were encased in spiked gauntlets that now pulsed with faint qi and blood, and surging, potent spiritual energy. They slammed down hard onto the myriad of lights.
At that moment, a muffled thunderclap echoed. Ji Yuan felt a surge of qi and blood within him. The small pagoda above his head trembled, and even the protective radiance around him fluctuated violently. Before he could suppress the disturbance within his body, the scruffy big man raised his fists again, this time with numerous fist shadows appearing, descending upon the radiance like a torrential downpour.
With a crackling sound, the veil of protective radiance fractured. After only a few breaths, it shattered, revealing the small figure within!
"Heh heh, die!" the big man sneered, his fists descending. One fist aimed for his head, the other for his back. Qi and blood converged on the spikes of the gauntlets, releasing a biting killing intent.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan quickly stamped his foot. The three Tai Bao Qian coins he had arranged beforehand erupted from the ground, radiating spiritual light and intertwining to envelop his figure.
With a bang, he once again felt a surge of qi and blood, and a thin trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth due to the recoil. Simultaneously, with the protective spiritual light of the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda gone, the nine slender silver needles fiercely pierced forward. Half of them embedded into the light curtain formed by the three bronze coins, appearing as if they were about to break through.
At this critical juncture, Ji Yuan abruptly threw his long whip into the air, dedicating a portion of his consciousness to control it. He then drew the long sword from his back and, turning, slashed horizontally towards the big man who had stealthily approached him.
At the same time, with a low shout and a surge of spiritual energy, the small, inch-tall pagoda finally stabilized its swaying body and once again released countless rays of light. However, these rays were different from before; they held little protective effect. Instead, they were imbued with extremely potent spirit-devouring power. With a gentle sweep, they enveloped all nine silver needles, rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy and essence within them.
With a clang, the big man actually blocked the long sword with his bare fists. Wrapped in dense spiritual energy, even Yuan Bao's sharpness could only cut a small gash, unable to wound his fists. Ji Yuan's expression shifted slightly. He had not expected Yuan Bao to fail. In the past, its sharpness was nearly unstoppable; only top-grade magical artifacts, with their superior materials and power, could resist its edge.
However, he did not falter. With a subtle twist of his wrist and a surge of spiritual energy, sharp sword energy erupted from the sword. "Slash!" he roared. Besides the crisscrossing sword energy, a flash of light streaked across the sword. In a moment, the lake of sword energy in his forehead rippled, and a sword cry echoed, seemingly reaching the outside world.
In the next breath, with a 'puff', blood splattered. The big man's figure retreated several zhang at extreme speed. Soon after, several crisp sounds were heard. The gauntlets he wore had been cut into pieces by this single sword strike! As for the big man, although his life was not in danger, his arms were crisscrossed with dozens of sword marks, and torrents of blood flowed, staining a large area of the ground beneath him. On his chest, there was a wound that cut deep to the bone, a terrifying gash still circulating with sword energy. Despite his surging spiritual energy and qi and blood, it was difficult to erase it!
Witnessing this, Ji Yuan let out a cold laugh. Did he really think his sword's edge was so easy to withstand? As the former sword of the Grand Ancestor of Xuan Tian Temple, its power was boundless. If not for his current cultivation level, which only allowed him to unleash a fraction of its power in an instant, the man would have been long dead.
After heavily wounding the scruffy big man with one strike, Ji Yuan did not press his advantage. Even when facing rogue cultivators from mountains and lakes, if he could not kill them in one blow, he would not pursue them too aggressively, lest they retaliate in their final moments and lead to his downfall. Thus, his gaze shifted slightly, and he glanced at the nine silver needles beside him. He then formed several hand seals, pouring torrents of spiritual energy into the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head!
At the base of the small pagoda, a vortex appeared, not only devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth but also continuously extracting all the spiritual energy and essence from the nine silver needles! In just a few breaths, this decent-quality magical artifact had lost most of its spiritual essence. Even if it were retrieved, it would take at least ten to twenty years of nurturing and refinement to restore it to its original state.
On the lake, the middle-aged woman saw this, and her heartache intensified manifold, her face contorting with resentment. She chanted incantations with both hands, desperately trying to summon the nine silver needles, whose spiritual essence was severely depleted. She murmured words, as if casting a divine ability.
Ji Yuan, of course, would not allow her to succeed. He raised his left hand above his head, and the long whip fell into his palm. With a fierce swing, the pale blue whip tore through the air with immense force, striking down. It shattered the two already dim fiery serpents, turning them into patches of flames that fell onto the lake. He then swung the whip again, its surface glowing brightly, forming a ten-zhang-long silken cord. He then lashed it fiercely towards the middle-aged woman on the lake. If struck by this blow, even with the protection of her early second-realm spiritual energy, she would likely be torn apart!
But at this moment, a rushing sound came from behind Ji Yuan. The previously heavily wounded big man, raising his blood-soaked, scarred arms, struck ferociously at his back. The scholar in green robes also forcefully waved his folding fan, endless firelight erupting from its surface, sweeping towards him. Where the waves of fire surged, a large amount of lake water was vaporized by the intense heat, rising as thick mist.
In an instant, Ji Yuan was once again surrounded and attacked. However, this time, with prior experience, he let out a cold snort. He stomped firmly on the ground. The three bronze coins once again radiated light, their spiritual energy depleted, transforming into over a dozen intricate runes that circled him. Although he lacked the protective radiance of the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, the defensive power of the San Cai Bao Qian alone was enough to steady the fists smashing down from behind him!
He then flicked his arm, and the whip he had lashed out returned. With a rotation of his wrist, it spun in mid-air. The silken cord formed on it collapsed, transforming into dense water vapor that swirled with the whip, drawing in mist from all directions. Water streams converged into a vortex. After one or two breaths, the water vortex generated by the whip clashed with the waves of fire unleashed by the scholar in green robes. As torrents of violent spiritual energy erupted, countless water droplets vaporized.
"Soul Annihilation!" a clear shout suddenly rang out. The middle-aged woman's spell was complete! Wisps of dark energy swirled around her. With a point of her slender index finger, twenty-odd strands of black energy silently shot out. In just a few breaths, they crossed more than ten zhang. Instantly, the black energy merged into the nine silver needles. The needles, which had already lost much of their spiritual essence and were low on spiritual energy, immediately unleashed power several times greater than before!
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's expression changed instantly. Without a second thought, he released his sword Yuan Bao and, forming a hand seal, poured most of his spiritual energy into the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head!