Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique

"Magical artifacts!! Both of these children have magical artifacts on them! Who are they? Even the core disciples of the Lin Clan don't have magical artifacts to protect them. How could these two..."

"Those really are two magical artifacts. One is a golden bronze mirror, and the other moves so fast I can't even make out what it is. I only saw a flash of purple lightning..."

The twelve men stared at Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi in shock, their faces filled with disbelief. They had never expected to run into two children carrying protective magical artifacts here. In the cultivation world, only a handful of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators had magical artifacts of their own; otherwise, they were reserved for Golden Core Stage cultivators.

Even children from great clans weren't granted magical artifacts unless they had exceptional talent. Take the Lin Clan, for example: the children who had protective magical artifacts from a young age were usually either the clan head's own children or exceptionally gifted prodigies. Even the elders' children weren't necessarily given protective magical artifacts during the Foundation Establishment Stage, let alone children in the Qi Refining Stage.

Once the shock passed, greed appeared on every face, even Wu Hai's, though he was badly injured. Those were two magical artifacts! If people of their own cultivation level had possessed them, they would have turned and run without a second thought. But the ones holding them were only children in the third or fourth layer of the Qi Refining Stage. How could they not be tempted?

Magical artifacts were undeniably powerful in both attack and defense, but it also mattered who wielded them. Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang had worked together to badly wound Wu Hai, who was in the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Stage—but how much spiritual energy could they have left?

"Damn it! I can't believe those two brats wounded me! I'm going to kill the little bastards today and take their magical artifacts!" Wu Hai cursed as he circulated his spiritual energy to heal himself. His blood-streaked face was twisted into a savage grimace.

The eleven men exchanged glances, greed plain in every pair of eyes. But so what? Who wouldn't be tempted by magical artifacts? All they had to do now was kill the two children and seize the artifacts. How they would divide them could wait until later.

Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi drew a deep breath as they watched the greed growing in the faces across from them. They readied themselves to fight once more.

They knew full well what happened when someone used a magical artifact: an innocent man with a treasure was guilty in the eyes of the world. But they were already on the brink of life and death. What use were the artifacts if they couldn't save their lives or protect their companion?

"Attack!" At one man's command, the eleven rushed toward Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang. But the passage was narrow, so at most three could reach them at once.

The men were greedy, but they weren't fools. They had seen Wu Hai badly wounded. Even if they figured the two children couldn't use that move again, none of them let their guard down. Instead, they chose the safest approach: wear down the children's spiritual energy!

After all, they were cultivators in at least the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Stage, with far more spiritual energy than Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang. Controlling magical artifacts consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, so they were certain the children couldn't keep it up for long. Then they could claim both artifacts without lifting a finger. What was there to lose?

Bang!

One of the men struck Qin Lang, sending him stumbling back several steps. His whole body shuddered, and his face turned even paler.

Bu Lianshi was no better off. The two were completely on the defensive, forced back again and again.

They knew their opponents meant to drain their spiritual energy, but there was nothing they could do. Using their magical artifacts again might badly injure another enemy, but then what? Once their spiritual energy ran out, they wouldn't even be able to fight back.

If they kept fighting this way, they were only buying time. They had no chance of winning. Their sole hope was for Lin Chuan to wake up; then they might have a chance. Otherwise, their defeat was only a matter of time.

Under the pressure of the eleven men, Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang kept retreating. They were nearly at the entrance to the Lava Cave where Lin Chuan lay. Waves of heat rolled toward them, making their burden even heavier.

"Damn it, who are these two brats? How can they hold out this long? If I wasn't afraid they had another killing move, I'd go over there and finish them myself!"

"They still haven't run out of spiritual energy. Could they be hiding their cultivation?"

"They can't be hiding their cultivation. If they were, they could have killed Boss Wu Hai with that last move. There's only one explanation: these two brats must have at least an Earth-Grade Low-Rank Spirit Root—and they might have something even better!" one well-informed cultivator explained gravely.

"What? An Earth-Grade Low-Rank Spirit Root? How is that possible?"

"With a Spirit Root like that, they'd be core disciples among core disciples even in a great clan like the Lin Clan. How could they have fallen into this state? And they're carrying protective magical artifacts, too. Who are they?!"

Everyone stared in shock at the two brats stubbornly holding their ground. A chill rose in their hearts. They wouldn't believe for a second that the children had no powerful force backing them.

"We absolutely cannot let them leave alive, or we'll face utter ruin!" That was what every one of them was thinking. Since they had provoked people they shouldn't have, they had to pull them up by the roots and leave no future trouble!

In an instant, they intensified their attacks, driving Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang back again and again. Their bodies were now covered in wounds, their clothes soaked with blood. They were nearly at their limit when one of them suddenly spotted the cave ahead. Inside, a white-haired youth sat cross-legged in cultivation.

"Look! Someone's in the cave!"

The man shouted, and every gaze turned toward Lin Chuan. The instant they saw him, they all understood why the two brats were fighting to the death here. They were protecting this person!

Just then, a figure shot past the barrier formed by Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi and raced toward Lin Chuan. It was Wu Hai, who had been healing his wounds.

"Hmph. You're trying to protect this person, aren't you? Then I'll kill him first and show you how weak you are! This is the price of resisting me!" Wu Hai roared with a savage grin. In an instant, he was in front of Lin Chuan, a cruel smile flashing across his face as he swung a fist at Lin Chuan's body.

At that moment, Lin Chuan's body shifted slightly, and his eyes snapped open. His blood-red gaze fixed on Wu Hai, who stood before him. Two tomoe spun rapidly in each eye.

"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!"