Qian Yuanshu's shield was formidable, but Lin Haoming's Sub-Mother Sword was designed for deception. Not content with just that, he immediately summoned his Flying Shears as well.
Qian Yuanshu was startled to see Lin controlling three magic tools simultaneously. For a Qi Refining cultivator, divine sense was limited; even those at the Great Perfection stage struggled to manage three at once. For a 9th-level cultivator like Lin to do so suggested his divine sense was actually superior to Qian's.
As the swords and shears closed in from both sides, Qian Yuanshu struck his shield. The bladed edges detached, flying out to intercept the incoming weapons. Though the flying blades were numerous, they were technically part of a single composite magic tool, allowing a Great Perfection cultivator to manage them with effort.
Lin Haoming was not discouraged; instead, he pointed a finger. The Flying Shears split into two, darting toward Qian from different angles. Qian moved his shield to block one half while several blades intercepted the other.
Seizing the opening, Lin shifted his focus. The Sub-Mother Sword slashed toward Qian. After clashing with a few blades, the mother sword appeared to lose its momentum. But in that split second, a flash of white light—the son sword—shot out from the hilt, aiming directly for Qian's heart.
Lin felt a surge of triumph. All those months of being battered by Xie Ruolan paid off, he thought. He had successfully blindsided an opponent a full stage higher than himself.
But the triumph was short-lived. Qian Yuanshu didn't fall. Instead, the floating blades suddenly accelerated, swarming toward Lin.
In a panic, Lin slapped a Stone Armor Talisman onto himself. A thick layer of stone encased his body just as the blades struck, clattering harmlessly against the magical armor. However, Lin's face paled when he looked at Qian. The son sword was indeed stuck in Qian's chest, but it was wedged tight, as if caught by muscle and bone. He couldn't push it in, nor could he pull it out.
A series of crackling pops—the sound of joints shifting—echoed from Qian's body. Lin realized things had turned bizarre. He swallowed two Qi Recovery Pills, retracted his weapons, and braced himself.
Suddenly, Qian Yuanshu charged with lightning speed, throwing a punch that cracked Lin's stone armor instantly.
A Body-Refining cultivator! Lin was stunned. To possess such speed and raw power meant Qian was an elite even among inner disciples. Why would someone like this be stationed in a mortal backwater?
Lin considered his Five Elements Swords, but they took too long to manifest. He'd be dead before the first strike landed.
"Damn it!" Lin cursed. He unleashed a Hail of Ice Arrows to create a screen of interference and immediately turned to flee.
"Thinking of escaping? Too late!" Qian roared, mounting his green flying sword and giving chase.
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The Trump Card
Lin maintained his lead but could feel Qian closing the distance. He threw a Fire Snake Talisman behind him without looking, then pulled out a small bottle and swallowed a specialized pill to replenish his parched reserves.
In his hand appeared the purple talisman etched with a small axe—the Talisman Treasure he had just bought.
As he followed the activation steps, Lin felt his spiritual power drain like a collapsing dam. In seconds, seventy percent of his total mana was sucked into the paper. He was shocked by the cost, but his confidence grew—the more it drained, the more powerful the result.
As he cleared the imperial city and reached a wide river, Lin suddenly spun around and hurled the talisman at the approaching Qian Yuanshu.
A blinding light erupted. A massive, spectral axe—thirty feet high—manifested in the air. It radiated an oppressive, divine pressure that seemed to shake the very soul.
Qian Yuanshu, who had been closing in for the kill, was paralyzed with terror. He knew of Talisman Treasures but had never faced one. Seeing the giant axe, his heart hammered against his ribs. He bitterly regretted underestimating this 9th-level nobody.
With no time to dodge, Qian threw everything he had: he sent his flying sword to intercept, raised his shield, activated a high-level defensive talisman, and let out a primal roar, his bones popping as he braced his refined body for the impact.
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Overwhelming Might
Lin watched nervously. If Qian survived this, Lin wouldn't have the mana for a second strike.
The axe fell.
The green flying sword shattered like glass. The shield disintegrated on contact. The defensive talisman and Qian's reinforced body fared no better. The light of the axe passed through him as if he were made of paper, cleaving him perfectly in two.
Silence returned to the riverbank. Lin stared at the two halves of the corpse and the blood-soaked ground, struggling to process how quickly the Great Perfection cultivator had been erased.
"Seven thousand spirit stones... definitely worth the price," Lin muttered, leaning against a tree as he finally exhaled.