Sudden Appearance of a Hidden Weapon

Shen Lian looked at Ning Rongrong, a disdainful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The flames of the Vermilion Bird Wings suddenly surged. He tightened his grip on the Dragon-Slaying Blade, his icy gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally settling on Ning Rongrong. Then he said:

"Just you think you can threaten me?"

A bloodthirsty smile curled across Shen Lian's lips. The instant all six Spirit Rings lit up, the entire forest seemed to be illuminated by intertwined purple and black lightning.

The Dragon-Slaying Blade turned into a crimson streak in his hand. Amid the shriek of tearing air, he shot toward Zhao Wuji like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The dragon patterns flowing across the blade emitted a dim glow. Every swing unleashed fierce waves of Soul Power, pulverizing the dead branches and fallen leaves in his path.

Ning Rongrong gave a sharp cry, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda bloomed with seven-colored radiance in her palm. The first two Spirit Rings on the pagoda shone brilliantly.

"Seven Treasures Famous: first, strength; second, speed!"

Two dazzling halos descended respectively upon Dai Mubai and the others. Their enhanced muscles tightened as their speed and strength instantly soared.

A glint flashed through Dai Mubai's Evil Eyes, while a dark-blue glow spread over his claws;

The fiery flames around Ma Hongjun suddenly burned even more fiercely;

Zhao Wuji's injured body also trembled slightly, and a metallic sheen appeared over the dark-gold scales covering him.

"Zhuqing, go deal with the one with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul and the one with the Sausage Martial Soul. Leave the rest to me."

Shen Lian's voice carried through the clamor of the battlefield, filled with unquestionable certainty.

Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her silver eyes and nodded lightly, her figure vanishing from where she stood like Gui Mei.

Shen Lian appeared before Zhao Wuji in an instant. His fourth Spirit Ring erupted with dazzling black light.

"Dragon Breath Sky-Breaking Slash!"

A blade aura wrapped in red dragon breath ripped through the air, and a lifelike dragon phantom bared its claws and fangs as it lunged at Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji roared. The Vajra Bear Martial Soul operated at full force as he crossed his arms before his chest, attempting to block the terrifying strike.

However, his previous severe injuries had greatly weakened his defenses. The dragon-breath blade aura slashed viciously into his right arm, shattering the dark-gold scales inch by inch. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and his right arm was nearly severed, hanging on by only a layer of flesh.

On the other side, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul Possession took effect, and three Spirit Rings flowed with cold radiance.

Like a bolt of black lightning, she instantly appeared before Ning Rongrong and Oscar.

Oscar's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly swallowed a sausage, then stepped in front of Ning Rongrong to protect her;

Ning Rongrong retreated repeatedly, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in her hand flickering as she attempted to use another enhancement skill.

"Trying to run? It won't be that easy!"

Zhu Zhuqing sneered. Just as she was about to attack, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun suddenly blocked her path.

Dai Mubai endured the piercing pain in his chest, flames of unwillingness burning in his Evil Eyes;

The flames around Ma Hongjun blazed fiercely, yet his bulky body nimbly took up a fighting stance.

"Zhu Zhuqing, don't go too far!"

Dai Mubai roared as he lunged at Zhu Zhuqing first.

However, his attack was riddled with openings in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.

Zhu Zhuqing flickered aside, easily evading his attack. Her Nether Claws swept across Ma Hongjun's waist.

Ma Hongjun let out a muffled groan and was sent flying like a kite with its string cut. He crashed heavily into a large tree, making the trunk shake violently as leaves fluttered down.

Zhu Zhuqing did not pause in the slightest. Her gaze locked onto Dai Mubai, and her third Spirit Ring shone brightly.

"Phantom Shadow Annihilation Strike!"

Six afterimages attacked at once, claws stabbing toward Dai Mubai like phantoms.

Dai Mubai did everything he could to defend himself, but he simply could not keep up with Zhu Zhuqing's speed.

Several wet tearing sounds rang out. Five bloody wounds deep enough to expose bone were instantly carved across his right hand, abdomen, and back. He collapsed to the ground as blood stained the dead leaves beneath him red.

On the battlefield, Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai lay unable to rise. Zhao Wuji was barely holding on under Shen Lian's attacks, his defenses on the verge of collapse.

Zhu Zhuqing slowly walked toward Ning Rongrong and Oscar. Blood dripped from her Nether Claws, glinting with an eerie light beneath the moon.

As Ning Rongrong and Oscar watched Zhu Zhuqing approach, their faces turned paper-white, and an icy despair rose in their hearts.

A battle with such a vast disparity in strength seemed about to reach its final conclusion.

Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Claws glowed with a grim, cold light as she steadily approached the pale Ning Rongrong and Oscar, who tightly gripped a hidden weapon.

Moonlight spilled across her long hair, making her sharp eyes appear even colder.

Just as she prepared to unleash a fatal strike, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the other side of the battlefield. Tang San, who had been immersed in worry over Xiao Wu's safety, finally came back to his senses.

His pupils contracted sharply at the tragic sight before him:

Zhao Wuji's right arm had nearly been severed, blood soaking through his dark-gold scales like a spring tide;

Dai Mubai lay collapsed on the ground, bloody wounds across his body deep enough to expose bone;

The tree Ma Hongjun had smashed into was still shedding branches and leaves with a rustle.

And Zhu Zhuqing was aiming her attack at the completely defenseless Ning Rongrong and Oscar.

"Stop!"

Tang San's furious roar tore through the night sky.

But Tang San also knew that confronting Shen Lian head-on with his current strength would be like striking a stone with an egg. His gaze instantly fixed on the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

His fingers darted into the Soul Tool like lightning, and the unique cold glint of a Dragon Whisker Needle flashed beneath the moonlight.

A Tang Sect hidden weapon was ready. At that moment, his Soul Power poured into the hair-thin silver needle.

At the same time, Shen Lian and Zhao Wuji's fierce battle was at its height when the dragon patterns on the Dragon-Slaying Blade suddenly began to tremble violently.

From the corner of his eye, Shen Lian caught Tang San's rapidly moving fingers and the faintly visible cold gleam at the edge of the Storage Soul Tool. Alarm bells instantly rang in his heart.

"Not good!"

Shen Lian shouted almost instinctively and called out to Zhu Zhuqing:

"Zhuqing, get back here!"

Although Zhu Zhuqing was full of doubts, she trusted Shen Lian.

Her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul surged at full power, and her figure turned into six afterimages as she instantly retreated.

The instant she vanished, a silver flash too faint for the naked eye tore through the air.

"Pfft!"

The Dragon Whisker Needle precisely embedded itself in the tree trunk where she had just stood. Its powerful penetration pierced straight through the bowl-thick trunk, and its remaining force sent branches and leaves scattering.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar clung to each other in terror. The heart-stopping scene just now had left both drenched in cold sweat.

Zhu Zhuqing returned to Shen Lian's side, her silver eyes fixed warily on Tang San. Shen Lian shielded her behind him, holding the Dragon-Slaying Blade across his chest as the purple-black glow flowing over its edge grew increasingly intense.

"Tang San, you're courting death."

Shen Lian's voice was low and icy, carrying a killing intent that made hearts tremble. Then he continued, addressing Tang San:

"You think a single Dragon Whisker Needle can change the tide of battle? Do you really think knowing these tricks means you can challenge me?"