"Barrier-Breaking Soul-Locking Spike."
This thought flashed through Elian's mind.
The Barrier-Breaking Soul-Locking Spike was Lin Baixi's famed weapon. Though it was merely a mid-grade second-tier artifact, it was an exceptionally rare and exquisite one.
This artifact was not only incredibly fast but also specialized in penetrating protective energy shields and the light barriers of defensive artifacts. Even ordinary mid-grade second-tier defensive artifacts might not withstand its attack.
Elian dared not take it lightly. He activated the Nine Deflection Bell to shield himself and then soared into the sky with the Fiery Void Sword. The three-zhang-wide sword aura it emitted repelled the spike.
"A natal celestial sword?"
Seeing the sword light, Lin Baixi revealed a trace of envy.
The method and materials for crafting a natal artifact were extraordinarily rare and precious. Although Lin Baixi was at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he couldn't compare to people like Elian and Zuo Mingxu, who had managed to forge natal artifacts.
"Boom."
At that moment, Elian launched a counterattack.
With a wave of his hand, the Green Ape Pearl expanded to over a zhang in size and smashed toward Lin Baixi.
Lin Baixi didn't take the attack head-on. Instead, he maneuvered his escape light to retreat a hundred zhang. Seeing the ground split into fissures over ten zhang long from the impact, his pupils contracted slightly.
"This artifact is as heavy as ten thousand catties. If it hit me, even a physically powerful second-tier demonic beast wouldn't survive."
Lin Baixi took a deep breath and pulled out a small, intricately designed Purple Pattern Furnace, which he hurled at Elian.
The furnace soared into the sky, its lid flipping open. A surge of purple flames poured out like a tide, engulfing everything as it rushed toward Elian.
"Purple Sun True Fire."
"It's the Lin family's Purple Sun Furnace."
Elian's gaze sharpened as he showed a trace of caution.
The Purple Sun Furnace was one of the Lin family's core treasures, a mid-grade second-tier artifact. The Purple Sun True Fire it released was extraordinarily powerful, capable of reducing even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to ashes.
However, while this artifact was invaluable, Lin Baixi could only wield about seventy percent of its full power. Elian had his countermeasures ready.
With a motion of his hand, Elian summoned the Purple Radiance Mirror. A beam of purple light shone forth, targeting the furnace. Though its power was far inferior to the furnace, the Purple Radiance Mirror specialized in disrupting the energy of artifacts, making it an excellent counter to the Purple Sun Furnace.
As the purple light struck, the Purple Sun Furnace dimmed, its spiritual energy severely depleted, and it plummeted from the sky.
"Purple Radiance Mirror."
"Now's my chance."
In that instant, a flash of killing intent appeared in Lin Baixi's eyes. Ignoring the Purple Sun Furnace, he raised his hand and unleashed beams of starlight.
The starlight filled the sky, each beam radiating a chilling glimmer that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Not good, it's the Myriad Star Needles."
Even the composed old patriarch was startled out of his seat.
The Myriad Star Needles was a sinister mid-grade second-tier artifact, one of the Lin family's secret trump cards.
This artifact consisted of thousands of fine silver needles. When activated, they surged forth like a torrent of starlight, bypassing energy shields and defensive artifacts.
Even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator caught off guard could be pierced through, leaving their body riddled with countless holes. The resulting injuries would destroy a cultivator's meridians and dantian, potentially leaving them crippled for decades or worse, permanently damaging their foundation.
This artifact's immense lethality was offset by its drawback: no one could fully control thousands of needles at once, limiting its use to a single activation per battle.
The moment Elian saw the flood of starlight, he instinctively felt a mortal danger.
Trusting his instincts, Elian used the Green Ape Pearl as a shield, creating a defensive barrier that gave him a fleeting moment to act.
As the barrier shattered, the Fiery Void Sword emitted an intense sword aura, propelling Elian sideways more than a hundred zhang, dodging ninety percent of the needles.
The remaining needles were intercepted by the Fiery Void Sword's sword aura and the Nine Deflection Bell, sparing Elian from a fatal blow.
"Impossible!"
Lin Baixi's face was filled with disbelief as the Myriad Star Needles failed to secure victory.
He had never expected Elian's reflexes to be so swift, enabling him to evade what should have been a guaranteed strike.
Clang—
At that moment, a sword light slashed toward Lin Baixi's face.
Elian's eyes gleamed with a trace of killing intent. Though he had anticipated the Lin family's hidden tactics, the appearance of the Myriad Star Needles caught him off guard.
This vicious artifact's overwhelming power and lack of precision made it unsuitable for such duels, where mutual respect was generally observed.
Elian's fear turned to resolve. Seizing his chance, he channeled his spiritual energy into the Purple Radiance Mirror, shining its beam across the sky.
Under the beam, Lin Baixi's prized Barrier-Breaking Soul-Locking Spike fell to the ground, rendered useless.
With Lin Baixi's key weapon neutralized, Elian finally gained the upper hand. Shielded by the Nine Deflection Bell, he unleashed the Fiery Void Sword against Lin Baixi.
Although Elian had expended significant spiritual energy, Lin Baixi was now left with no powerful artifacts to defend himself. Forced onto the defensive, he wielded two flying swords and relied on experience to stall for time, searching for an opening.
But Elian's combat talent exceeded Lin Baixi's expectations. With each move, he exploited Lin Baixi's weaknesses, pushing him to the brink of defeat.
After a hundred exchanges, Elian's eyes narrowed. He used the Mingxu Sword to disarm Lin Baixi's weapon and then struck with the Fiery Void Sword.
Though the Fiery Void Sword was a low-grade second-tier artifact, its power far exceeded its peers, slicing through Lin Baixi's defenses and striking toward him.
"We concede! Don't harm him!"
Lin Mocheng shouted in desperation, unable to intervene in time.
But it was too late. The azure sword light of the Fiery Void Sword struck, severing Lin Baixi's arm with a chilling clang.
"Ah—!"
Lin Baixi screamed as his arm was cut off, the searing flames of the Fiery Void Sword infiltrating his body through his meridians.
Lin Mocheng hurried forward, using his spiritual energy to suppress the flames and feeding Lin Baixi several pills, stabilizing his condition somewhat.
However, in mere moments, the severed arm had been burned to charcoal by the Fiery Void Sword.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, physical mutilation meant broken meridians, forever barring the path to the Purple Mansion realm.
...
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