"My life is over!" Kongtong forced himself to drive the crimson banners, desperately holding the enemy at bay. Yet his Primordial Spirit suddenly jolted violently. A boundless sea of blood filled his mind, and in an instant, several icy currents slithered wildly through his body like thin snakes. His entire body stiffened, the crimson radiance of the banners abruptly vanished, and the fearsome ghostly creature was instantly shredded by crisscrossing lightning.
These six crimson banners were called the Crimson Net Pagoda, a rare tantric treasure capable of both attack and defense. Those of profound cultivation could condense them into a Dread Yaksha, like the external incarnation said to be attainable only by legendary sages. But the power of the Crimson Net Pagoda's formation came from drawing upon the black baleful demonic qi underground, and the caster was exceedingly vulnerable to backlash from demonic illusions. Kongtong's cultivation was insufficient; even when fighting Hetu that day, he had not dared use this treasure. Now, in his desperate final struggle, there was no luck to be had. His Primordial Spirit suffered backlash from the bloody sea's savage fiendish illusion, and the ghostly yin qi within him, which he had previously been unable to suppress, erupted all at once.
This life-and-death battle of spells had been perilous from the start, allowing no room for the slightest mistake. Just as the thought My life is over flashed through Kongtong's mind, Miro in midair gave a sinister cackle. Black qi surged wildly from his hand, condensing into a giant black claw that descended in a single grasp.
The Mò Chà Pearl Miro sought was in the hands of the youth beside them, who had long since been stunned senseless by the battle. Moreover, Kongtong had always been full of schemes and tricks, so Miro showed no mercy. His Helpless Yin Fiend Hand was originally a spell used against magical treasures and flying swords, brimming with vicious, filthy, violent qi and containing such substances as Star River Sand and Vajra Sand. It could split gold and shatter stone. Poor Kongtong had no power to resist; with one grasp, man and coffin alike were crushed to powder like a brittle cake.
Having slain Kongtong with one claw, Miro's expression suddenly changed. Several streaks of sword light came hurtling through the northern sky, agile as startled dragons and swift beyond belief. They seemed only to flash once, yet three people already stood in the field: two men and one woman. All three wore white robes trimmed in silver-thread brocade. One of the men was broad-shouldered and burly, with thick brows and furious eyes. The other had a long beard and a black topknot coiled atop his head. Though the woman appeared to be over thirty, her figure was enchantingly supple, as though a gust of wind might carry her away. Three sword lights—black, red, and white—circled their bodies, flickering and pulsing uncertainly.
"Helpless Yin Fiend Hand! Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead! Are you a disciple of Daoist Yin Xiao of Beimang?" The moment the three arrived, they saw Miro kill Kongtong with a single claw and put away the Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead. They immediately recognized his identity and froze for a moment. Why are they from Qingcheng? Miro was secretly startled as well. First, he had not expected anyone to arrive so quickly. Second, from their attire and appearances, he recognized that they were not disciples of Shushan, but Ao Ming, Songhezi, and Shui Wuyue, disciples of Qingyang Sanren of Qingcheng. All three were renowned experts. In a flash of thought, Miro concluded that he might not be their match. Before they could speak, the foul black qi took shape again and shot directly toward the youth within the crimson banners.
"The Mò Chà Pearl? Wait!" Ao Ming, Songhezi, and Shui Wuyue had merely happened to be passing by. Seeing strange lights flickering here and sensing people engaged in a spell battle, they had come to investigate. They had only just discovered that Miro belonged to Daoist Yin Xiao of Beimang's lineage and still did not understand the situation. But as Miro suddenly attacked the youth, Songhezi's sharp eyes caught sight of the pearl in the youth's hand. He cried out in alarm, and before the cry had even faded, a streak of white sword light leapt three times in succession, cutting off Miro's Helpless Yin Fiend Hand.
"What is it?" Though Ao Ming and Shui Wuyue did not know what was happening, the three were bound by shared qi and united purpose, their hearts moving as one. The moment Songhezi's sword light emerged, Ao Ming and Shui Wuyue's two sword lights also soared forth. Shui Wuyue's scabbard was green, but when her mind stirred and her sword light flew out, it was entirely crimson, reflecting against Ao Ming's black sword light as the two rapidly circled around them.
"Go!" A streak of silver light smashed directly toward Shui Wuyue, who appeared the weakest of the three. With a sharp clang, Ao Ming's black flying sword blocked the silver light Miro had fired with a flick of his finger. At the collision, black scaled radiance rippled across the black flying sword, while black light and silver light scattered like molten gold. Meanwhile, Shui Wuyue's red flying sword twisted directly toward Miro.
"Qingcheng's flying swords truly are no trifling matter!" Miro's face darkened and brightened in turns. Before this, he had fought other Sword Immortals possessing magical treasures and flying swords, but the flying swords of ordinary Rogue Cultivators were utterly incomparable to those of Qingcheng, a great sect with a thousand-year legacy. Miro did not know what material Songhezi's flying sword had been forged from, but it showed no fear at all before the Helpless Yin Fiend Hand, which specialized in breaking flying swords. That silver light was the Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead Miro had just retrieved. Though all the lightning stored within it had been exhausted, the bead itself was still a magical treasure, and each strike carried the force of a thousand catties. Yet after repeated blows, Ao Ming's flying sword blocked it with ease. Moreover, the three coordinated their offense and defense with exceptional discipline. After just one exchange, Miro knew he was outmatched. But the Mò Chà Pearl lay right before his eyes, and giving it up now was harder than climbing to heaven. The Helpless Yin Fiend Hand swiftly retracted. As it reached toward Shui Wuyue's sword light, thoughts raced madly through Miro's mind as he considered how to deal with them.
"Another flying sword? Who is this now?!" At that moment, a golden radiance shot from the sky like streaming flame. Before it even arrived, waves of crushing pressure cascaded down. Sensing the newcomer's imposing presence, Ao Ming and the others immediately drew back their flying swords and focused their minds in wary preparation.
The sword light poured down like a flying waterfall, revealing a short, fat, bald old man. He had plump ears and narrow eyes, with none of an expert's bearing, yet when his gaze shifted, it seemed as though lightning flashed within it. "In the end, I came one step too late!" The squat old man swept his eyes over the scene and first released a long, sorrowful sigh. Seeing clusters of tiny flames dancing over the golden flying sword around him, Songhezi suddenly remembered someone and was greatly startled. "The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Sword—Senior, are you True Lord Lieyang?"
The squat old man did not answer. His gaze locked onto Miro. "Will you end yourself, or shall I do it for you?"
By now, Miro knew that this squat old man was True Lord Lieyang, Kongtong's friend. Merely from True Lord Lieyang's mastery of the flying sword, Miro knew he was no match for him. But Miro was cruel and vicious by nature, and he did not fear him. After snorting, he simply said nothing and coldly looked at True Lord Lieyang.
"The Mò Chà Pearl?" True Lord Lieyang's sword light surged as he prepared to strike. Then he suddenly caught sight of the blue radiance peeking through the youth's fingers, and his entire body shuddered.
"What, you only discovered now that it is the Mò Chà Pearl?" Miro sneered. "Kongtong had you come save him, yet he did not tell you that he suffered this calamity because of the Mò Chà Pearl?"
"Brat, even if your master came in person, he would not dare speak to me in that tone. Death is at your door, yet you are still this arrogant!" True Lord Lieyang flew into a rage. His sword light unfurled like a bolt of silk, exploding toward Miro with a thunderous roar like a sudden clap of thunder on level ground.
Miro extended the Helpless Yin Fiend Hand. The moment the black qi touched the sword light, it hissed into green smoke like hot oil poured onto a red-hot iron plate. Yet Miro was not anxious. He merely said, "Do you think everyone in Shushan is a dead pig?"
True Lord Lieyang's sword light jolted. Daoist Yin Xiao's spells have always been sinister. This brat is his disciple; if he fights for his life, I may not be able to take him down at once. This place is close to Shushan, and these three from Qingcheng are no ordinary people. One careless move, and they may reap the advantage. As thoughts flashed through his mind, True Lord Lieyang hesitated even more.
A disdainful sneer immediately appeared at the corner of Miro's mouth.
No matter how high your cultivation is, once you see the Mò Chà Pearl, aren't you the same?
Miro's calculation had originally been correct. The Mò Chà Pearl was an enormous temptation even for True Lord Lieyang. The instant he recognized it, True Lord Lieyang's Primordial Spirit had shaken violently, as though he had fallen into the Hell of Greed in Buddhist cultivation, nearly losing control even of the flying sword bound to his life and cultivation. But Miro had not expected True Lord Lieyang's temperament to be so fierce. "So what if I do not want the Mò Chà Pearl!" The moment he saw the mocking look at Miro's lips, an unnamed karmic fire surged within True Lord Lieyang. Without another thought, his sword light exploded, and before everyone's eyes, it was as though a golden sun had risen. Within several yards, everything became bright as day.
"You squat, fat gourd!" Miro's face turned pale in shock. He hastily waved his short staff, and black qi burst forth.
True Lord Lieyang threw back his head and laughed wildly. With a point of his finger, the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Sword—refined from underground essence gold and tempered with Crimson Sun True Fire—displayed its immense might. Unafraid of yin souls or filthy corruption, it swept once and shredded the black qi, scattering it in all directions.
A streak of silver light shot straight at True Lord Lieyang's face. Seeing that the situation had turned against him, Miro had once again hurled out the Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead. "Hmph!" True Lord Lieyang neither dodged nor evaded. He suddenly opened his mouth, and with a boom, spewed out a wave of white qi. It collided, curled, and swept the Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead into True Lord Lieyang's mouth. Miro's body suddenly trembled, his face turning deathly pale. He nearly fell directly beneath True Lord Lieyang's sword light.
True Lord Lieyang's flying sword arts are indeed overbearing. He actually seized his opponent's magical treasure in one stroke! This thought had only just flashed through the minds of the three from Qingcheng when they suddenly heard Miro shout, "What, are you trying to seize the Mò Chà Pearl while you have the chance?"
Ao Ming, Songhezi, and Shui Wuyue were all stunned. True Lord Lieyang had only just hesitated when Miro suddenly flicked out a stream of blue smoke. The smoke carried a bone-chilling coldness. "What a vile scheme!" The three from Qingcheng frowned, immediately recognizing it as the exceedingly poisonous Profound Nether Yin Phosphor Sand. At the same time, they realized that Miro had deliberately shouted to disrupt True Lord Lieyang's concentration, buying time to release the Profound Nether Yin Phosphor Sand beneath the slaughtering twists of True Lord Lieyang's flying sword.
"Not good!" True Lord Lieyang also came to his senses in an instant. But with a shake, the blue smoke had already intercepted his Crimson Flame Golden Lion Sword. When he hurriedly withdrew the sword, blue-red phosphorescent light was already flickering endlessly along its blade.
Controlling a flying sword appeared ordinary enough, but it was in fact difficult to cultivate. In the usual method, one first needed a powerful flying sword as a sword embryo, then nourished it with one's own vital qi and gradually divided one's Primordial Spirit into it. Only when mind and sword were connected, allowing it to be wielded like one's own limbs, could one be said to have achieved the initial stage. Though True Lord Lieyang's Crimson Flame Golden Lion Sword was extraordinary, Miro's Profound Nether Yin Phosphor Sand clung directly to its blade and burned away its vital qi. Now, the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Sword's radiance had greatly dimmed. The damaged vital qi would require at least a thousand days of work to restore.
True Lord Lieyang had severed the connection between Miro and the Thunder-Commanding Silver Bead with his own true essence, taken the magical treasure, and wounded Miro's Primordial Spirit. Now Miro used the Profound Nether Yin Phosphor Sand to similarly scorch True Lord Lieyang's Primordial Spirit and damage his flying sword—an immediate repayment in kind. But to True Lord Lieyang, Miro was merely a junior. After failing to settle him in several exchanges and instead suffering damage to his flying sword, True Lord Lieyang was so enraged that the Three Corpse Gods leapt in fury. "If I do not kill you today, I swear I am not human!" As his sword light flashed, Miro raised his short staff to block, but it was a feint. Boom! Boom! Several tremendous explosions rang out. Golden lightning erupted in the air, fierce electric snakes twisting and darting about. The Five Paths of Golden Light Heavenly Thunder cast by True Lord Lieyang struck Miro squarely. Miro let out a strange cry, the black smoke around him scattering by more than half as his body was blasted backward through the air like a windmill.
"This man is doomed this time!" The three from Qingcheng watched True Lord Lieyang's golden sword light chase after him and slash head-on. With one sweep, the black cloud Miro had just gathered was torn apart. Just as Miro seemed unable to escape death, a streak of black radiance suddenly descended from the sky—a flying sword about three feet long, wrapped in black cloud qi.
Seeing the gloomy black cloud qi on the sword, so similar to Miro's true essence, True Lord Lieyang knew that the newcomer was an enemy rather than a friend. Before the black radiance could entangle his flying sword, he had already gripped a Fire Cloud Shuttle in his hand. Yet before he could release this Fire Cloud Shuttle, whose power did not lose out to an ordinary flying sword, True Lord Lieyang saw a yellow-green cloud mass descend over his head.
Before the yellow-green cloud mass even drew close, its foul stench assaulted his nostrils. True Lord Lieyang recognized it as corpse poison qi, refined from the qi of countless rotting corpses mixed with the poison of a hundred insects. He hurriedly activated his spell formula, forming a mass of red light that tightly shielded him.
"Senior Brother!"
As Miro's delighted voice rang out, a man with a sinister face had already appeared beside him, coldly watching True Lord Lieyang.
"This is Hetu, True Person Yinxiao's eldest disciple!"
Hetu and Miro came from the same lineage, but their cultivation in spells differed greatly. Not only had Hetu refined a flying sword as well, his cultivation appeared to surpass Miro's by quite a bit. No wonder Kongtong had been no match for him. And from the look in his eyes, this man's sinister cruelty was even greater than Miro's.
As the golden and black flying swords clashed, True Lord Lieyang already felt that he might not withstand the two joining forces. After a brief hesitation, several dazzling sword lights had already streaked across the sky from the vast black mountains in the distance.
That place was Shushan.
The people of Shushan had finally noticed!