Slaying

Seeing that he had been discovered, Xiao Yu's heart sank. He had concealed himself so well, yet the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator had still seen through it.

When Xiao Yu reached the mouth of the valley, he had noticed someone approaching and decided to hide first, then leave once he understood the situation. But by then, it was already too late, because he had sensed another person lurking nearby.

If I can't avoid this, then I'll fight! Xiao Yu stepped out of the grass, his expression grim.

"It's you!" The Triangular-Eyed Cultivator recognized Xiao Yu at once. This was the very man who had come and left earlier.

"Heh heh, if you'd already left, that would have been one thing. Since you're still here, brat, you can stay here forever." As he spoke, he unleashed the Small Axe magical artifact, sending it cleaving toward Xiao Yu.

At the same time, he slapped his Spirit Beast Bag. Amid a buzzing hum, dozens of bees about an inch long flew out-the same Silver-Winged Bees he had commanded earlier.

Xiao Yu dared not be careless and hurried to counter. He had already seen clearly how formidable these two attacks were. The Small Axe was a top-grade magical artifact with astonishing power, while the swarm was even more terrifying. If those bees got close, he would probably have no escape from death.

Xiao Yu raised his hand and unleashed the Radiant Mother-and-Son Swords. The seven small swords circled once, then flew out to meet the Small Axe.

Next, he took out the Spirit Turtle Shield. After several spell seals, the little shield grew to three or four feet across and began revolving around Xiao Yu, remarkably nimble.

Then he slapped his storage bag and pulled out a fistful of talismans-more than thirty Enhanced Fire Serpent Talismans and three Enhanced Firecloud Talismans. Activating them with a special method, he transformed them into great masses of fireclouds and more than thirty fire serpents, which shot toward the swarm.

In the blink of an eye, the Mother-and-Child Swords collided with the Small Axe. Amid interwoven azure light and dazzling radiance, metallic clangs rang out. The two magical artifacts were evenly matched, neither able to overcome the other.

For the first time, the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator's expression turned grave. He had not expected the brat's magical artifact to be so formidable. When he turned toward the swarm, shock and fury immediately flooded his face, and he roared, "You little bastard! You dare hurt my treasures? I'll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"

After twisting and merging, the thirty-odd Spirit Talismans Xiao Yu had activated had formed a firecloud thirty feet across, with more than thirty two-foot-long fire serpents swimming in and out of sight within it.

Carrying an astonishing wave of heat, the firecloud swept toward the swarm in an instant. Though the bees had an instinctive fear of flames, their master's orders forced them to charge straight into it.

The Silver-Winged Bees, which had displayed such terrifying might while killing the beautiful woman, fell into a disadvantage the instant they touched the firecloud. The fire serpents within snapped relentlessly at the swarm, and moments later, the scorching flames had left the bees reeling in confusion.

Xiao Yu was delighted. He had not expected these spirit bees to fear fire attacks. That made things much easier.

Just then, the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator launched another offensive. He took four bizarrely shaped weapons from his storage bag. After he cast several spell seals, the Strange Blades flew toward Xiao Yu with eerie, howling whistles.

At the same time, the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator shouted, "Brother Feng, attack now!"

At that very moment, a short Blue-Clad Youth suddenly appeared among some rocks behind Xiao Yu to one side. A slender, pitch-black spike shot from his hand and stabbed toward Xiao Yu.

Judging by his clothing, the Blue-Clad Youth was actually a disciple of Heavenly Gate Fort, with cultivation at the peak of the twelfth level. Xiao Yu had no idea how he had ended up working with a disciple of Spirit Beast Mountain, and he appeared to have been lying in ambush here for quite some time.

Xiao Yu seemed to have anticipated this. He hurriedly split four son swords away from the Mother-and-Child Swords battling the Small Axe and sent them stabbing toward the incoming Strange Blades. At the same time, with a thought, he moved the Spirit Turtle Shield into the pitch-black spike's path.

Four metallic clangs rang out as the four son swords struck the four Strange Blades, briefly halting them. However, these four son swords were, after all, only part of a set of magical artifacts,

and they were now some distance from their mother sword, making them less nimble to control. Before long, the Strange Blades broke free of their entanglement and hurtled toward Xiao Yu again.

With a deafening clang, the pitch-black spike blazed with dark light and slammed into the Spirit Turtle Shield. White light flared across the shield's surface as it firmly blocked the spike, preventing it from advancing even an inch.

The sight eased Xiao Yu's mind somewhat, but he knew that even the strongest defense would eventually fail. Faced with attacks from both men, he would suffer in the end if he did not break through quickly. He might even lose his life. His thoughts raced, and a plan came to him.

He reached to his waist and took out a talisman. Muttering an incantation, he activated it and flung it toward the Blue-Clad Youth.

The talisman reached the Blue-Clad Youth in an instant. With a hum, it transformed into an earthen-yellow dome of light more than ten feet across, which descended over him and trapped him inside.

"An Earth Prison Talisman! Hmph, you think one measly Earth Prison Talisman can trap me? Watch me break it!" As he spoke, the Blue-Clad Youth prepared to attack the dome formed by the talisman.

Once Xiao Yu saw the dome enclose the Blue-Clad Youth, he stopped paying attention to him. Until the youth broke through it, Xiao Yu did not have to worry about him launching any other attacks.

Then he took some fifty Enhanced Fire Serpent Talismans from his storage bag in one go, activated them, and sent them toward the swarm again.

The swarm had already been injured by the first wave of fire. Faced with another fifty-odd fire serpents, it instantly lost all ability to resist. Amid scorching flames and explosions, Silver-Winged Bees fell to the ground like raindrops.

The fallen Silver-Winged Bees had charred-black bodies and tattered silver wings. They clearly would not survive.

"No!" The Triangular-Eyed Cultivator let out an anguished howl. Looking at the dead Silver-Winged Bees, he was so heartbroken that words failed him.

"Hmph, those who kill others will themselves be killed!" Xiao Yu snorted coldly, directing the Radiant Mother-and-Son Swords to slash at the Small Axe while controlling the Spirit Turtle Shield to block the Strange Blades and the spike.

Then he took another dozen or so gleaming Spirit Talismans from his storage bag—Enhanced Firecloud Talismans. "Go!" He swiftly activated them and hurled them toward the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator.

The Triangular-Eyed Cultivator's expression changed drastically. Abandoning control of the Small Axe, he hurriedly took a Spirit Talisman from his storage bag and slapped it onto himself. A white dome of light enveloped him. Still uneasy, he brought out a pair of Copper Bowls. With a spell seal, they transformed into two enormous copper plates that guarded him from the front.

He had barely finished setting up these defenses when a sea of fire a hundred feet across engulfed him with astonishing force! Terrifying heat and violent explosions swept over him. Within the sea of fire, all the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator could do was pour every ounce of strength into maintaining his protective barrier and copper plates.

The Blue-Clad Youth trapped inside the Earth Prison Talisman was also growing frantic. This brat in black is so hard to deal with! He's throwing Spirit Talismans by the handful as though they cost nothing. How is this a fight? He's burning Spirit Stones!

He therefore drove a flying sword to attack the earthen-yellow dome with even greater effort, hoping to escape as soon as possible. Once free, whether he fought or fled would be up to him.

But the youth had already sent his only top-grade magical artifact-the pitch-black spike-to attack Xiao Yu. The flying sword he was using against the Earth Prison Talisman's barrier was merely a high-grade magical artifact, and for the moment, it could make no headway.

Seeing the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator fall into danger, the Blue-Clad Youth changed his spell seal. The pitch-black spike attacking Xiao Yu immediately turned and shot back toward him. He intended to use it to attack the Earth Prison Talisman's barrier from outside.

With the sea of fire consuming all of the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator's attention, Xiao Yu had already knocked the Small Axe aside. The four Strange Blades had also stopped attacking him, and the Blue-Clad Youth had recalled the pitch-black spike.

Although no magical artifacts were attacking Xiao Yu now, he would not lower his guard. In the cultivation world, examples of people being killed by a desperate enemy's counterattack because of their own carelessness were everywhere.

Thus, Xiao Yu kept his protective barrier up and the Spirit Turtle Shield revolving constantly around him.

Then he drove the Radiant Mother-and-Son Swords to emit sword light and hover outside the sea of fire, ready at any moment to attack the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator inside.

A short while later, the sea of fire gradually dispersed. Xiao Yu immediately sent the Mother-and-Child Swords slashing forward.

By now, the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator was blackened all over, his clothes in tatters and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The smell of roasted flesh rose from his body.

Before he could rejoice at having survived the sea of fire, seven flying swords blazing with azure sword light were already before his eyes.

The Triangular-Eyed Cultivator's Copper Bowls had long since melted into molten copper in the sea of fire. Before he could put up another defense, he felt sharp blades pierce his body. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

Seeing the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator cut into several pieces, Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He turned toward the Blue-Clad Youth trapped inside the Earth Prison Talisman, killing intent laid bare in his eyes.

The Blue-Clad Youth had been controlling his flying sword and spike, and just one more strike would have broken the dome. He had never expected the Triangular-Eyed Cultivator to be slain in the blink of an eye. Panic seized him, and boundless fear welled up in his heart.

"Senior Brother, would you believe me if I said this was a misunderstanding? It was all him! Yes, he ordered me to do everything! Please spare my life. I'm willing to hand over everything I own!"

"Fine. Throw your storage bag aside," Xiao Yu said without hesitation.

Just then, the youth shattered the Earth Prison Talisman's barrier with a strike, turning it into motes of yellow spiritual light that slowly dispersed.

Hearing Xiao Yu agree so readily, the Blue-Clad Youth hesitated, worried that it might be a trick.

Before he could decide, Xiao Yu's seven Mother-and-Child Swords were already slashing toward him, reaching the space above his head in an instant.

"Senior Brother, didn't you say you would let me go?" The Blue-Clad Youth frantically took out a small iron shield. This magical artifact was called the Black Iron Shield, and he normally relied on it to save his life. The little shield spun, growing to three feet across and protecting his vital areas.

"Hmph, spare you? Do you think this is my first day in the cultivation world?" Xiao Yu poured in his magical power with all his strength, directing the Mother-and-Child Swords to cut at the shield while trying to send some of the son swords around it to stab the youth. But the youth reacted quickly as well, immediately controlling his spike and flying sword to block Xiao Yu's attacks.

For a time, the two exchanged attacks and defenses. Seeing that he could not finish the youth quickly, Xiao Yu thought for a moment, then took out more than thirty Fire Serpent Talismans. He murmured a few incantations, split the magical power at his fingertips into dozens of streams, and poured them into the talismans before activating them toward the Blue-Clad Youth.

The Blue-Clad Youth had already been struggling to hold on. With the addition of these dozens of fire serpents, his defenses instantly collapsed.

After dozens of bangs, the youth's shield was knocked aside. A series of wet piercing sounds followed as the Mother-and-Child Swords seized their chance and plunged straight through his body.

"Cough, cough..." Blood gushed from the Blue-Clad Youth's mouth. His body crashed to the ground, his breath extinguished, while bitter unwillingness still filled his eyes!

"Whew!" Xiao Yu let out a long breath. His face was somewhat pale now, and more than half his magical power had been consumed. He hurriedly took out a Spirit-Restoring Pill and swallowed it.

Next, he gathered all the magical artifacts that had fallen to the ground, along with their storage bags. Then he released two fireballs from his fingertips, sending one at each corpse. In the blink of an eye, both bodies turned to white ash.

Xiao Yu turned and swiftly went to the pool. Taking out a jade box and a Jade Shovel, he carefully dug up the purple mist vine, placed it in the jade box, and stowed it in his storage bag.

Then he cast his enhanced Wind Riding Art and swiftly left the valley.