Tianxin Divine Needles

“Do you not want your nephew anymore?” Shi Feiyang pointed a Long claw at the Three Talents Mirror lying on the ground. “That was the anchoring object binding your nephew’s Primordial Spirit, and you actually destroyed it?”

At those words, Sikong Hu's vision went black, and he nearly fainted!

He too knew spells for sealing other people’s Primordial Spirits. To prevent the captive from freeing themselves, the caster would usually place seals on the anchoring object that kept them from approaching it. More advanced methods, designed to prevent anyone else from rescuing the captive, linked the object and the captive’s Primordial Spirit as one, sharing weal and woe. Once the object was destroyed, the captive would also undergo Soul Scattering!

He hastily looked toward the spot where his nephew Sikong Xuan had been, but naturally saw nothing. He formed hand seals and cast a summoning spell, yet there was still no response. Frantic and bitter, he called out several more times, but the empty woods gave no answer.

Shi Feiyang had released the Three Talents Mirror intending to trap Sikong Hu beneath its light first, then explain the stakes and use it as leverage to force him away from his position. After that, he could spit out his inner core and fight in earnest without harming the Queen Mother Grass below.

Who could have known Sikong Hu would unleash such might? Before Shi Feiyang could even speak, a single sword thrust had pierced the Three Talents Mirror. With the anchoring object destroyed, Sikong Xuan’s Primordial Spirit had naturally been extinguished along with it, resulting in Soul Scattering.

Sikong Hu's eyes reddened with rage. "Evil beast! Filthy beast! I'll skin you, tear out your sinews, grind your bones, and scatter your ashes to avenge my nephew!"

He charged with his flying sword, its light blazing even brighter than before and illuminating the entire valley.

Shi Feiyang spat out the Divine Fire Core. The fist-sized, flame-wreathed Pearl flew out and held the Bai Light Sword at bay. Swordlight flashed and the Pearl blazed as they darted up and down, locked in a fierce struggle.

Sikong Hu drove his sword into a furious assault with all his strength, only to discover that the demonic dragon's inner core contained far too much power. Every impact against his sword was like a small mountain crashing down, weighing even on the Sword Art formed by his hands and making his sword movements sluggish.

After fighting for a short while, he roared, "Evil beast, behold my treasure!" With a sweep of his hand, he unleashed tens of thousands of Tianxin Divine Needles.

Xin represented yin Jin. His needles were finer than ox hair, and each shot forth like a streak of lightning. Released by the myriad, their fine, brilliant rays flashed together like a towering tree of fire blossoming with silver flowers beneath the night sky.

A skyful of needlelight shot toward Shi Feiyang, swifter than wind and denser than rain, engulfing his enormous body in an instant!

This was Shi Feiyang’s first magical battle, and his nerves had remained taut throughout. The moment Sikong Hu raised his hand, his keen Long eyes discerned the true nature of those hair-fine needles. He hurriedly stirred the fire in his heart and blew a stream of concentrated true Essence Qi toward the Divine Fire Core before him, making its flames surge. Then he inhaled with all his might. The core’s true fire immediately swept backward into his mouth. Stirring his Essence Qi once more, he forced those flames to erupt from every part of his body, from beneath every scale, instantly turning himself into an enormous Fire Dragon.

The Tianxin Divine Needles struck Shi Feiyang's "fire dragon body" in a dense barrage. Fire already subdued Jin, let alone hair-fine yin Jin pitted against immortal fire imbued with true yang. It was like stoking a furnace to burn a strand of hair: all twenty-eight thousand lightning-fine needles turned into wisps of blue smoke within the flames in an instant. Every last one was destroyed!

At the sight, Sikong Hu was so furious and heartsick that he almost spat a mouthful of blood from the back of his throat. The Tianxin Divine Needles were the guardian treasure of his cave abode, painstakingly nurtured and refined for sixty years. Relying on them, he had roamed the world unchecked and taken the lives of countless enemies. They made short work of the alligator dragons in the Yangtze River: once unleashed, they would pierce even the mightiest demonic dragon to death, without exception. Yet today, they had achieved absolutely nothing before being utterly destroyed in an instant.

Having broken his opponent’s flying needles, Shi Feiyang continued driving the Divine Fire Core forward to batter him. This inner core was bound to his very life, and he controlled it as freely as his own thoughts: wherever his will reached, the core flew. It was nothing like wielding a sword earlier. As sword and Pearl clashed again, Sikong Hu could gain no advantage through Swordsmanship. Gradually, he could no longer withstand Shi Feiyang’s three thousand years of cultivation and was forced back again and again by the inner core.

Shi Feiyang knew that if Sikong Hu escaped, he would certainly return for revenge, refining treasures specifically to counter him and bringing Pu Miaomiao and others to help. Even if Shi Feiyang survived, he would never have another peaceful day.

Worried that Sikong Hu might flee, he stopped pressing him too hard with the fire core. On the surface, he kept Pearl and sword evenly matched, trading attacks back and forth. In secret, he mobilized the other core in his belly, the true water inner core, and cast spells to create great quantities of thick mist, letting it spread farther and farther.

Intent on slaying the dragon to avenge his nephew, Sikong Hu cast a spell to summon the long banners he had used to lay out his formation earlier. Sixteen bright yellow treasure banners lined up before him like an enormous folding screen. The talismans upon them comprised eight wood and eight Jin, all yin wood and yin Jin, belonging to the path of pure yin. Each banner imprisoned a demon refined from a cultivator's primordial spirit. Drawing on the banners' yin energy, they condensed masses of thunderfire and bombarded Shi Feiyang relentlessly.

Shi Feiyang used the fire arts recorded in the Lesser Book of Heaven to drive the Divine Fire Core. The core spun ceaselessly in midair, sending streams of fiery energy in every direction as it held off the Bai Light flying sword. One creature after another was born from the flames: Fire Sparrows, fire rats, fire rabbits, fire snakes, fire cats, fire eagles... The fiery creatures filling the sky sought out their targets on their own, crashing into the incoming Demon Fire and yin lightning. One after another, they exploded with thunderous booms into house-sized fireballs, destroying both themselves and their targets.

The two exchanged spells in a ferocious battle. Whenever he had a moment, Shi Feiyang continued creating mist until it filled the entire valley.

Sikong Hu’s magical power was not weak. With an immortal sword and sixteen banners, he held off the Divine Fire Core, barely maintaining an even match. Meanwhile, Shi Feiyang prepared to send his other core, the true water inner core, around through the thick mist to Sikong Hu’s rear and deliver a fatal blow.

Just as he was about to spit out his Inner Cores, he suddenly heard Sikong Hu let out a roar of mingled shock and fury, his voice actually trembling. At the same time, the force transmitted through the White Light Sword abruptly weakened.

Knowing something had happened to his opponent, Shi Feiyang hurriedly spat out True Essence and drove the Divine Fire Inner Core straight at him. Unable to resist, the White Light Sword was hastily recalled. Shi Feiyang then sent sixteen fire dragons flying from his Inner Cores. Baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, they hurtled forward, each pouncing on a demonic banner.

Boom! Boom! Boom... The sixteen banners burst into flames one after another, becoming great blazing torches. Entangled by the fire dragons, the demons upon them struggled madly and let out piercing howls.

The Divine Fire Core continued its relentless charge straight toward Sikong Hu.

Sikong Hu had urgently recalled his Flying Sword to kill a Venomous Snake. While he had been wholly focused on the magical battle, a Red-Scaled Strange Snake had suddenly emerged from the thick mist behind him and opened its mouth to spray a cloud of lethally poisonous red mist.

Struck from behind by the poisonous mist, Sikong Hu immediately felt the world spin around him. He hurriedly summoned his True Essence to suppress the poison, then turned and saw the strange snake. Shocked and furious, he thought, Even an Animal Realm like you dares oppose me? I'll grant you the death you're asking for!

He cut the Venomous Snake into three pieces with the White Light Sword and was about to resume the fight, but the Divine Fire Inner Core had already arrived. An urgent thought flashed through his mind. Realizing the danger, he tried to use Human-Sword Unity to flee, but the poison had slowed his reactions. Before the swordlight could merge with his body’s energy, the Divine Fire Inner Core struck him. He instantly exploded into a fireball, his flesh and bones shattered. The flames released by the inner core were so hot that the mangled flesh and broken bones turned to ash before they reached the ground.

Shi Feiyang hurried over, first seizing the Bai Light Sword before it could fly away, then drawing the Divine Fire Core back into his belly.

Looking at the three pieces of snake lying on the ground, he was somewhat puzzled. "Were you trying to help me kill my enemy? Or did you have a grudge against that fellow yourself? Unfortunately, whatever your reason, you're too thoroughly dead for me to save you now."