Fierce Spell Battle

The black net was a special magic tool. Before the gray whirlwind it raised could even reach her, Mu Xiuyun felt dizzy and disoriented.

She swiftly slapped out two Mid-Grade Talismans.

Buzz!

Two consecutive layers of golden light shields protected Mu Xiuyun's body.

They were precisely the First-Order spell, Golden Light Shield.

Yet the instant the black net pressed down, the Golden Light Shields sizzled as they blackened and cracked at a visible rate.

The first Golden Light Shield collapsed in the blink of an eye.

The second did not even last a single breath.

The black net was also a Mid-Grade Magical Artifact. In the hands of a Qi Refining Late-Stage cultivator, its power was terrifying to the extreme.

Mu Xiuyun's lovely face paled. Gritting her teeth, she slapped out another pale-blue High-Grade Talisman.

A bone-piercing chill condensed, forming a layer of sparkling Crystal Water Shield around Mu Xiuyun.

The black net pressed against the Crystal Water Shield. Its threads tangled with the flowing water with hissing sounds, and it was finally blocked.

But the Crystal Water Shield was rapidly dimming and would not last more than a few breaths.

Mu Xiuyun seized the chance to swallow a Detoxification Pill.

Just then.

A firework-like beam of light shot into the sky from a nearby Medicine Field, visible for hundreds of miles around.

"Signal Talisman!"

Ge Yi and Mu Xiuyun instinctively looked over, only to see a white-robed youth crush a talisman in his hand.

As the Medicine Garden Guardian, Lan Chang'an had to do something.

"You little brat! You weren't poisoned?"

Ge Yi narrowed his puffy eyes slightly, somewhat surprised.

The Marrow-Corroding Powder he had used was no ordinary poison. It could blend into the scent of plants and vegetation; an ordinary Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivator who fell victim to it would find it nearly impossible to resist.

"Fortunately, when Lu trained in martial arts years ago, he trained his resistance to poison as well. He has not let it lapse since, so the poison did not penetrate deeply..."

Lan Chang'an's face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to rise and quickly swallowed a Detoxification Pill.

In truth, he was merely putting on an act.

The poison had been neutralized by the Evergreen Art the moment it entered his body, saving him some trouble.

As for that so-called poison-resistance training, it would damage one's bodily foundation. Lan Chang'an had never practiced it.

"Lan Chang'an, it's wonderful that you're all right! If the two of us join forces, there is still hope."

Light shimmered in Mu Xiuyun's starry eyes as she said joyfully.

Lan Chang'an was also at the Qi Refining Mid-Stage. If they worked together and held on for a little while, they could wait for reinforcements from the Mu Family.

Jade Moon Mountain Villa was over two hundred miles away.

"This kid?"

Ge Yi sneered. While suppressing Mu Xiuyun, he casually hurled out a ball of ghastly green flame.

He had never regarded a cultivator like Lan Chang'an, who had only just entered the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, as worthy of notice.

Facing the ghastly green flame, Lan Chang'an reacted with lightning speed and activated a Water Curtain Talisman.

A hazy blue Water Curtain stood before him.

Boom!

The ghastly green flame exploded. The Water Curtain abruptly dimmed as great amounts of water vapor rose.

After roughly one or two breaths, the Water Curtain shattered.

Most of the ghastly green flame was dissolved by the water, leaving the retreating Lan Chang'an unharmed.

Ge Yi could not help giving a soft exclamation.

Though water restrained fire, his secret flame technique at the Qi Refining Late-Stage could absolutely not be blocked by an ordinary First-Order Mid-Grade Talisman.

It seemed Lan Chang'an had used a rare, superior talisman.

"Eldest Miss, I'll close in and put pressure on him."

Lan Chang'an was not afraid of Ge Yi hearing him. He left an afterimage where he stood.

Besides being an immortal cultivator, he was also a Martial Arts Grandmaster. His physique was stronger than that of ordinary Qi Refining Realm cultivators who did not cultivate the body.

Once he got close, the combined force of martial combat and immortal cultivation techniques could not be underestimated.

"Green little boy! Ridiculous, ridiculous."

Ge Yi was just about to shatter Mu Xiuyun's protective shield. Seeing Lan Chang'an charge at him, he neither dodged nor avoided, instead revealing a mocking smile.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Before Lan Chang'an could get close, several Earth Spikes over a zhang tall abruptly thrust up beneath his feet, enough to pierce through a Tiger Elephant's body in an instant.

It was as though Lan Chang'an's soles had grown eyes.

His body leaped into the air and shifted aside, narrowly evading the successive Earth Spikes.

Those Earth Spikes that appeared without warning had not been cast by Ge Yi.

"This kid's reactions are quite fast."

Ge Yi looked slightly regretful. He had thought Lan Chang'an was certain to die.

Boom!

Dust flew from where the Earth Spikes had burst from the ground, and an enormous brownish-yellow rat-shaped demon beast sprang out. Its limbs were exceptionally sturdy, and its claws and fangs resembled metal.

"Earth Rock Rat!" Lan Chang'an narrowed his eyes.

With this, Ge Yi's earlier method of framing others became obvious at a glance.

That so-called framing had not been deliberately aimed at Lan Chang'an. It had been intended to lure out the Eldest Miss of the Mu Family and sabotage the marriage alliance between the Mu Family and the Huang Family.

Before this, everyone in the Medicine Garden had been deceived by Ge Yi's outward appearance of arrogance and a violent temper.

At most, they had suspected Ge Yi of embezzling medicinal herbs.

That was likely a flaw he had deliberately exposed. After all, greed for wealth was normal human nature.

At present, this Earth Rock Rat's mana aura rivaled that of a peak sixth-layer cultivator.

That concealed Earth Spike ambush just now could have killed even a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator in one strike.

Bang!

A millstone-sized chunk of rock and soil was shattered beneath a claw of the Earth Rock Rat.

Then its eyes flashed red with vicious light.

It lunged at the airborne Lan Chang'an with extreme speed.

At that moment, Lan Chang'an had no room to evade. He stomped down fiercely, martial force erupting as he simultaneously wrapped his leg in a layer of Evergreen Mana.

With a thunderous crash, a huge pit exploded open beneath him.

Lan Chang'an's blood and qi churned, and his ankle went numb. Borrowing the force, he shot several zhang into the air and widened the distance between himself and the Earth Rock Rat.

Though he was a Martial Arts Grandmaster with a powerful physique, there was still a considerable gap between him and a demon beast of this level.

As he retreated.

Lan Chang'an flung out three Fireballs behind him, blasting into the Earth Rock Rat's body.

The Earth Rock Rat shrieked, several patches of its fur scorched black.

Its body swayed, yet it seemed unharmed as it charged at Lan Chang'an again.

"A soil-element demon beast really is thick-skinned and tough-fleshed."

Lan Chang'an found it somewhat troublesome.

Of course, the Earth Rock Rat's higher cultivation was also an important factor.

The Earth Rock Rat pounced again.

Lan Chang'an's expression turned solemn. He formed hand seals and muttered an incantation as his mana drained rapidly.

In an instant, immense vitality from the surrounding vegetation gathered.

The Earth Rock Rat's body trembled, unease appearing in its eyes.

In the next instant.

Thorn-covered wooden vines condensed from the surrounding ground and plants, binding the Earth Rock Rat in a single stroke with speed too swift to cover one's ears.

"Squeak..."

The Earth Rock Rat shrieked and struggled with all its strength, terror on its face.

But the wooden vines were extraordinarily tough. Like a prison, they trapped it fast.

"Binding Vine Technique!"

Surprise appeared on Ge Yi's face.

The Binding Vine Technique was a difficult wood-element spell, one that few Qi Refining Realm cultivators could master.

With his Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivation, Lan Chang'an had cleverly borrowed the dense plant vitality in the Medicine Garden to cast it. It was truly an ingenious application of spellcraft.

The Binding Vine Technique happened to restrain soil-element demon beasts as well.

"Old man! Let's see what tricks you have left."

After trapping the Earth Rock Rat, Lan Chang'an slapped a Wind Speed Talisman onto himself. Raising an afterimage, he charged in close to kill Ge Yi.

"This kid! He is both a Martial Arts Grandmaster and proficient in spellcraft..."

Ge Yi finally began to panic. In his haste, he brought out a Flying Shuttle magic tool.

Whoosh!

Cold Rainbow flashed, and the Flying Shuttle slashed before Lan Chang'an in the blink of an eye.

Though Lan Chang'an was fast, he could not match the attack speed of a magic tool.

Without time to think, he summoned a dark cyan shield. It expanded against the wind like a stone wall, blocking the way before him.

Bedrock Shield.

This was a Mid-Grade defensive magic tool he had exchanged with Lineage contributions!

With a clang, the Flying Shuttle carved a groove into the Bedrock Shield. Sparks flew everywhere, accompanied by a piercing scraping sound.

Lan Chang'an relaxed slightly. Though they were both Mid-Grade Magical Artifacts, one wielded by a Qi Refining Late-Stage cultivator was a whole level stronger.

Fortunately, Ge Yi was fighting one against two. His hasty magic-tool attack possessed only seventy percent of its power.

But Lan Chang'an had already achieved his goal.

Because Ge Yi had been distracted by Lan Chang'an, his suppression of Mu Xiuyun loosened.

Just a moment earlier, the black net had broken through Mu Xiuyun's High-Grade defensive talisman, leaving her in grave danger.

"Well done!"

Mu Xiuyun's eyes lit up as she seized the opportunity!

Without hesitation, she brought out her trump card—a High-Grade offensive talisman.

Exploding Flame Art!

Fire-element spiritual energy boiled as a gigantic dark-red, twisted ball of flame smashed fiercely into the black net above her head.

The black net was blasted open, its glow dimming somewhat.

Yet the crisis had not been resolved.

Ge Yi had abundant mana, his magic tool was intact, and his combat strength remained.

The poison in Mu Xiuyun's body had not been completely neutralized. She could not hold on for long.

Puff!

Mu Xiuyun's face turned pale. Circulating her mana, she forced several drops of blood essence from the tip of her tongue and let them fall onto the Silver Ruler.

Blood Flame ignited across the Silver Ruler's surface, and radiant light blazed. It transformed into a streak of light and, during the brief opening created when the black net was blown apart, slashed toward Ge Yi.

The power of this strike rivaled that of the Qi Refining Late-Stage.

Lan Chang'an silently praised her. She had grasped the timing of this counterattack very well.

An ordinary Qi Refining Late-Stage cultivator could only control two Mid-Grade Magical Artifacts, or four Low-Grade Magic Tools.

Even if Ge Yi had more magic tools, he had no spare capacity to use them.

"You brat who ruins everything!"

Ge Yi's face turned livid, and his teeth itched with hatred. He had no choice but to slap out a Golden Light Shield talisman while reluctantly raising a mana shield.

Puff! Puff! Bang!

The Silver Ruler cleaved through the Golden Light Shield, then cut a crack into Ge Yi's mana shield.

He had ultimately blocked it!

Cold sweat broke out on Ge Yi's forehead. Fighting on two fronts, maintaining two Mid-Grade Magical Artifacts, and also sustaining a mana shield had pushed him to his limit.

Just then, a sudden change erupted!

Whoosh, whoosh—

Several tiny, dim Needle Rays shot at Ge Yi from the side.

"Not good!"

Ge Yi's already cracked mana shield was punctured by those Needle Rays.

Two of the Needle Rays shot straight for his face.

He was frightened out of his wits. Forcing up his mana, he dodged with all his strength.

Slowed slightly by the mana shield's buffering effect, the Needle Rays allowed him to evade most of them.

Pfft!

One Needle Ray pierced into Ge Yi's leg.

He relaxed slightly. At least he had avoided any vital spots.

But the next moment.

Ge Yi's leg went numb. His body staggered, his face turned black, and he glared at Lan Chang'an through gritted teeth.

"You little beast! You actually poisoned your magic tool..."