The sky had lightened, and the wind and rain were gradually easing. A figure appeared in the distance; as he drew closer, they saw that it was Daoist Mu.
Daoist Mu's topknot was disheveled, his Daoist robes torn. He trudged along with unsteady steps, showing signs of fatigue.
Seeing water dripping from Daoist Mu's robes, Zhao Yi knew that the true qi in his body had greatly diminished.
For cultivators at the perfection of Meridian Opening, all the meridians of the greater and lesser celestial circuit were open, and their true qi circulated through its hundred and eight meridians.
With their qi unified into a seamless whole, casting a Spiritual Qi Shield to keep out the rain was child's play.
Daoist Mu could not even keep the rain off him now. He had to be in a weakened state!
As Daoist Mu walked step by step into their ambush, the three concealed themselves even more carefully, holding their breath and focusing.
Lightning flashed. Rumble! A sudden thunderclap erupted, and Daoist Mu turned to look behind him.
Now was the perfect moment!
A dark figure instantly lunged at Daoist Mu. It was Zhao Yi.
The Long Ji in his hands drove straight for the heart of the dragon with the crushing force of thunder. Sensing something, Daoist Mu whipped his head around toward Zhao Yi, his face draining with shock.
Amid the lightning and thunder, Daoist Mu drew a deep breath, kicked off hard with both feet, and sprang backward.
His hands were not idle either. A talisman instantly ignited, and he slapped it straight onto himself.
A pale golden shield of spiritual light appeared around him, glittering like a golden bell. It was none other than the Golden Light Talisman.
At the same time, he drew the sword at his waist and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you lie in ambush for me here?"
Zhao Yi and his two companions were all dressed in black and masked, so Daoist Mu naturally could not recognize them.
Then Daoist Mu waved a hand. A talisman shattered, sending three Ice Arrows at Zhao Yi.
As expected of an old cultivator with decades of cultivation behind him, his chain of reactions was truly decisive and seasoned.
Zhao Yi twisted aside to dodge the Ice Arrows and continued chasing Daoist Mu.
Watching Daoist Mu draw ever closer, Zhao Yi circulated his true qi faster and faster.
Suddenly, a white glow appeared on the Halberd Blade. Zhao Yi swung hard, sending the Long Ji toward Daoist Mu's head.
Another flash of lightning illuminated Daoist Mu's face, twisted with terror. An arrow flew past Zhao Yi toward him.
Bang!
The arrow struck Daoist Mu's protective shield. Golden light flashed, leaving him entirely unharmed.
Before Daoist Mu could breathe a sigh of relief, Zhao Yi's Long Ji arrived, its howling wind piercingly cold.
Clang!
With a sound like a great bell tolling, the Long Ji cleaved into the Golden Light Shield, making it flicker.
Zhao Yi turned the blade and pressed his attack, unleashing a sequence of the Heavy Mountain Halberd Technique.
Clang, clang, clang!
A string of metallic clashes rang out as sparks flew between the Long Ji and sword.
By now, Daoist Mu was deeply alarmed. What misery! he thought.
His opponent's Long Ji blows grew heavier with each strike, the tremendous force sending waves of numbness through the web between his thumb and forefinger!
The Heavy Mountain Halberd Technique embodied mountain ranges layered upon mountain ranges, each peak higher than the last. Its force accumulated as it was performed, each strike stronger than the one before.
In the distance, seeing that ordinary arrows could not harm Daoist Mu, Wang Qing took a Talisman Arrow from the quiver on his right, nocked it, and aimed at Daoist Mu again.
Liu Yu also rushed forward, slapping a talisman onto his sword.
In an instant, cold light flashed along the blade, its keen edge fully revealed as it thrust straight at Daoist Mu.
The two fellow disciples attacked Daoist Mu together, leaving him scrambling.
He had already spent half the night fighting sea beasts and was worn out and exhausted, yet this sudden assault was so ferocious.
The tall cultivator's Long Ji swept toward him like a violent storm, each blow fiercer than the last.
The cultivator wielding the Long Ji was at the great completion of Meridian Opening. The cultivator at his side was only at early Meridian Opening, but his Sword Qi was formidable; a sharpness-enhancing talisman must have been applied to his blade.
If I don't flee now, I fear I'll fall here today!
At this thought, Daoist Mu's gaze turned exceptionally fierce and vicious. With a roar, he repeatedly pulled out vine seeds he had ritually refined and scattered them onto the ground.
The vine seeds took root upon landing and grew rapidly. Iron Thread Vines sprang from the earth, lashing their tendrils in every direction.
Caught off guard, Zhao Yi had both legs entangled by two Iron Thread Vines. He struggled hard several times, only to find that he could not break free at all.
Daoist Mu first flung out a Wind Blade Talisman, forcing Liu Yu to dodge.
He then scattered vine seeds at Liu Yu's feet, trapping him, before slapping a Gale Talisman onto himself. Turning, he used the Lightness Technique and ran down the mountain without looking back.
Seeing Daoist Mu about to escape, Zhao Yi let out an angry roar in that lightning-swift instant. His entire body seemed to swell a size larger, his eyes turned bloodshot, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Kill!"
He kicked hard with both legs, breaking free of the vines, then likewise used the Lightness Technique, hurtling at Daoist Mu even faster than his fleeing opponent.
This was the Boiling Blood Art, Zhao Yi's last-resort means of staking his life.
Once unleashed, this art rapidly burned his essence blood, doubling a cultivator's strength. If he did not stop the spell in time, his essence blood would be exhausted, and he would die.
The Boiling Blood Art could not be used lightly. Once it was used, it meant staking one's life.
Zhao Yi's strength now approached the perfection of Meridian Opening.
In the distance, Wang Qing finally found another opportunity to act. He drew a deep breath and bent his bow into a full moon, its frame creaking.
"Hit!"
Wang Qing shouted.
Whoosh!
A Talisman Arrow shot out, striking the path ahead and to Daoist Mu's left.
The Talisman Arrow shattered. Frost instantly spread across a radius of several yards, freezing Daoist Mu's feet to the ground as well.
"Good!"
Zhao Yi shouted his approval!
Liu Yu had first been driven back by the wind blade, then become entangled in vines while dodging it. Now, seeing Zhao Yi's bloodshot eyes and swollen body, he knew that Zhao Yi had begun staking his life.
Liu Yu naturally knew the consequences of the Boiling Blood Art.
At this thought, Liu Yu ground his teeth in hatred. He took out another Sharp Metal Talisman and slapped it onto his sword, then slashed twice at the vines with two swishing flashes of sword light.
Two Sharp Metal Talismans were now stacked on this sword, greatly increasing its sharpness. Yet whenever he severed two vines on the ground, two more appeared. That old scoundrel had actually scattered two vine seeds!
Wang Qing drew another deep breath, held it, and focused. He took another Talisman Arrow from the quiver on his right; an Explosive Talisman was inscribed on its arrowhead.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot out, striking Daoist Mu squarely!
Boom!
An explosion rang out, sending fire bursting in all directions.
Risking his life, Zhao Yi caught up to Daoist Mu. His Long Ji became a streak of bloody light as he viciously cleaved at Daoist Mu's Golden Light Shield. The shield flickered three times, yet still did not shatter!
Daoist Mu was overjoyed. Luckily, I didn't use it while fighting the sea beasts earlier. This Mid-Grade Spirit Talisman really works well. Those ten spirit stones were well spent.
A smile spread across his face as he looked at Zhao Yi with open mockery.
Before Daoist Mu could continue celebrating, Liu Yu suddenly thrust his sword from the right.
Clink!
A crack appeared on the Golden Light Shield and began spreading like a spiderweb. Liu Yu thrust again, striking the very center of the web.
Crack!
Under Daoist Mu's terrified gaze, the Golden Light Shield finally shattered.
"No!"
Daoist Mu roared!
Before Daoist Mu could beg for mercy, Zhao Yi curled his lips, his eyes filled with mockery toward him.
He raised his hands and swept the halberd diagonally at Daoist Mu. Its Halberd Blade brushed across Daoist Mu's body like the wind, cutting him in two.
Another halberd strike severed his head. Three sections of his body rolled onto the ground, his entrails spilling everywhere.
Liu Yu immediately followed with two sword slashes, turning the three pieces into five.
At the same time, a speck of light appeared on Daoist Mu's body. As Zhao Yi looked on in bewilderment, it flew at him like a moth to a flame and merged into his body.
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