Chapter 124 : 1 Strike, 1 Kill

Eldrin thought to himself, resolving to exhaust every means at his disposal to break the deadlock.

只见他头顶Bell of Nine Echoes (Magic Treasure)敞开光幕，挡住了魏明远接连进攻，然后祭出Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure)斩出，击飞了那严师兄的本命法宝天罗刀。

Boom—

With a resounding boom, Eldrin seized the moment, channeling the Blazing Heavenfire Sword and the Gengjin Divine Thunder techniques to strike at Senior Brother Yan. His intent was clear—to eliminate this comparatively weaker foe first.

With cultivation comparable to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, Eldrin (Person Name) unleashed 2 offensive divine abilities. Despite exhausting all his techniques, Senior Brother Yan found himself utterly overwhelmed and could only cry out to Wei Mingyuan (Person Name) for aid.

"Senior Brother, save me!"

"Don't panic!"

Yan Shixiong channeled his power into a flying sword and a luminous pearl, 2 upper-second-grade magical instruments that relentlessly assailed the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure). Under their fierce onslaught, the sacred bell's radiance trembled violently. With a sweeping gesture, he then unleashed the Li Fire Divine Thunder Net.

Behold, the Net of Blazing Fire Divine Thunder coalesced its 1 100 and 8 first-grade divine thunderbolts into a unified essence, condensing them into 3 second-grade, superior Blazing Fire Divine Thunderbolts.

Suddenly, 3 peals of thunder roared as 3 divine lightning bolts erupted from the Divine Lightning Net, crashing down with explosive force.

2 of the divine lightning bolts intercepted Eldrin's Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss and Gengjin Divine Thunder, while the final 1 struck the Bell of 9 Echoes, causing its luminous barrier to tremble violently.

Fortunately, the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure), forged with immense quantities of Mysterious Iron Essence, proved worthy of its reputation. As a top-tier defensive artifact, it withstood the assault of 2 magical weapons and the Li Fire Divine Thunder.

In that very instant, Eldrin's eyes snapped open as he raised his hand to unleash his true trump card.

Clang—

A single sword cry pierced the air as a blade light wreathed in black-gold lightning flames erupted, cleaving directly toward Wei Mingyuan.

The moment Wei Mingyuan laid eyes on that sword gleam, his face contorted in terror, and he could not suppress a sharp cry of alarm.

Thunderous Blaze Sword!

An 18-zhang sword aura, swift as a shooting star and fierce as a coiled dragon, crossed a 100 zhang of void in an instant to slash toward Wei Mingyuan.

This move caught him completely off guard. Wei Mingyuan, shielded by his second-grade, superior-tier defensive artifact, the Vajra Seal, had believed himself to be utterly secure. Yet, how could he have anticipated that Eldrin (Person Name) would suddenly unveil this trump card?

In his haste, he could only fling out a few Second-Order treasure talismans, hoping to block the attack for a split second. Alas, it was utterly futile.

In the blink of an eye, the Thunderfire Sword cleaved through all obstacles. Wei Mingyuan had barely activated a single talisman when his defensive artifact was shattered, and he was instantly bisected at the waist.

"If only my Solarflame Talisman were still here..."

On his deathbed, Wei Mingyuan was seized by this bitter regret.

If he hadn’t been so careless and had kept the 3 Bing Fire Divine Thunder of his life-bound magical treasure, he might have been able to slightly block the edge of the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss and preserve his own life to plan a counterattack.

Pitifully, this individual had no chance to unleash his full strength before being struck down by a single treacherous blow. The elixirs, magical instruments, and talismans he carried never realized their intended purpose.

Senior Brother Wei!

Witnessing Wei Mingyuan being slain in a single strike, that Senior Brother Yan let out a shocked cry of disbelief.

He immediately realized the danger and tried to flee on his magical treasure, but how could he possibly outrun the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss?

Eldrin once again channeled his energy into the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. A black-gold sword aura surged violently, instantly traversing 10 1000 feet of void space and cleaving Senior Brother Yan asunder amidst the emptiness.

After 2 strikes, Eldrin nearly collapsed to the ground. Though the Thunderfire Sword of the Returning Abyss possessed extraordinary power, each activation consumed a staggering 20 percent of his spiritual energy.

With just 2 strikes, he had drained 40% of his true essence, sending waves of weakness coursing through his body.

"Hah—"

Eldrin swallowed the 1 Restoration Pill, restoring a fraction of his true essence. A lingering fear surfaced in his expression as he let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

Wei Mingyuan’s true essence was actually 70 to 80 percent more profound than his own, with strength verging on the half-step into the Violet Mansion Realm. Had it not been for the surprise assault with the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss catching the opponent off guard, he might not have prevailed in this battle.

Even though he had emerged victorious through a surprise attack, he had expended 80 to 90 percent of his spiritual energy, having poured nearly all of his strength into the effort.

"This man's vital energy is extraordinarily profound. He has clearly broken through the Purple Mansion more than once, and wields the exclusive life-bound magical artifact of the Verdant Sun Sect. He likely possesses a staggering background."

"It seems this is no place to linger."

Eldrin collected the 2 men's storage pouches and treasures, then incinerated their bodies into ashes of calamity. Riding his sword through the vast desolate wilderness, he scattered their remains along the way before hastening his flight toward Celestial Ruins Mountain.

At this moment, his heart was filled with profound unease. He feared that Wei Mingyuan had powerful backers, worried that the Azure Sun Sect would uncover his true identity. The only thing that could offer him any sense of security now was the Celestial Ruins Mountain.

For the sake of safety, he even summoned the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark (Magic Treasure), covering 20 1000 miles in a single day. In merely 4 or 5 days, he traversed 80 to 90 1000 miles of the Great Wilderness, crossed the Desolate Sun Mountain Range, and finally arrived at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

Upon arriving at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), he wasted no time and went straight to the entrance of Lyra (Person Name)'s cave abode.

"What's wrong?"

Lyra's eyes lit up with a faint smile the moment she saw him, but noticing his unsettled expression, she inquired with concern.

Eldrin (Person Name) composed himself and produced the storage pouches of Wei Mingyuan and his companion. With a trace of unease in his voice, he said,

"I fear I've stirred up trouble."

This individual is likely a descendant of Chongyang (Person Name) from the Azure Sun Sect's Purple Mansion.

After listening, Lyra (Person Name) said with a smile.

She took Wei Mingyuan's storage pouch, effortlessly broke the restriction on it, and retrieved an inconspicuous small wooden token from within. A faint smile graced her lips as she said,

"Very well, the matter is settled."

"Hmm?"

Eldrin froze for a moment, still unable to process his unease.

Lyra watched his dazed expression, thinking even his bewildered look was rather captivating. She couldn't help but giggle softly before raising the Life Token and saying.

This is a Soul-Chasing Life Token, which can be used to track the location of a storage pouch. It consists of a pair—mother and child tokens—that can locate each other even across hundreds of thousands of miles. Typically, only major sects would provide such artifacts to their key members.

When the Qingyang Sect discovered that Wei Mingyuan’s Soul Lamp had been extinguished, they would swiftly use the Soul-Chasing Life Tablet to locate the enemy’s position.

"You fled to Celestial Ruins Mountain aboard the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark, moving at a speed no slower than a Purple Mansion cultivator. The Qingyang Sect has likely already mistaken you for a Purple Mansion expert from our Celestial Ruins Mountain. Now that this Soul-Chasing Life Tablet has fallen into my hands, it only confirms their suspicion beyond doubt."

After hearing her out, Eldrin thought for a moment and still voiced his unease: "Now that this Soul-Chasing Life Tablet has fallen into your hands, could it bring you trouble?"

"Are you worried about me?"

Lyra's eyes sparkled, her bright orbs brimming with a mirthful glow that even Eldrin found difficult to withstand.

Seeing Eldrin’s flustered expression, the corners of her lips lifted slightly before she finally spoke.

"Rest assured, that Chongyang (Person Name) couldn't even defeat a disciple of my sect. He wouldn't dare cause trouble for me even if given 10 lifetimes of courage."

"Moreover, this individual holds a longstanding grudge against your Chen family. By making an enemy of him, you haven't picked the wrong adversary."

A flicker of emotion crossed Eldrin's (Person Name) face as he couldn't resist asking, "What do you mean by that?"

Chapter 1 The biting mountain wind whipped through the jagged peaks, carrying with it the scent of pine and decay. A lone figure sat cross-legged upon a weathered stone, his simple blue robes fluttering around him like the wings of a trapped bird. This was Lin Feng, a humble outer sect disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. 3 years. For 3 whole years, his cultivation had remained stagnant at the third layer of Qi Condensation. A bitter smile touched his lips as he recalled the sneers and whispered taunts from his fellow disciples. "Waste," they called him. "The 1 who squanders the sect's resources." He closed his eyes, attempting to quiet the turmoil within. According to the basic cultivation manual, circulating spiritual energy through 1's meridians should feel like a gentle, flowing stream. For him, it was a trickle of mud, sluggish and unyielding. He had consumed nearly a 1000 low-grade spirit stones over this period, a staggering sum for an outer disciple, yet the bottleneck refused to budge. "Lin Feng!" A sharp voice cut through his meditation. He opened his eyes to see a tall youth in finer silks standing before him, his expression 1 of pure contempt. It was Elder Brother Wang, a disciple who had entered the sect at the same time as him but had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. "The Sect Distribution Hall is dispensing resources," Wang said, his tone dripping with mock concern. "Though, I wonder if there's any point in you collecting yours. Perhaps you should save the 100 spirit stones for someone with actual talent." Lin Feng's knuckles turned white where he gripped his knees, but he kept his voice even. "I will claim what is rightfully mine." Wang let out a derisive snort. "Stubborn until the end. The Outer Sect Tournament is in 20-some days. Those below the fifth layer will be expelled. Do you really think you can break through 2 layers in such a short time? It's impossible." With that, he turned and strode away, his laughter echoing off the mountain crags. Lin Feng watched him go, a cold fire igniting in his chest. Expulsion. It meant returning to the mortal world in disgrace, a fate worse than death for any who had tasted the pursuit of the Dao. He had to find a way. His mind drifted to the forbidden section of the Scripture Pavilion, a place he was not permitted to enter. Rumor spoke of an ancient, damaged jade slip hidden there, 1 that conventional wisdom deemed useless, a cultivation dead end. But conventional methods had failed him utterly. As dusk painted the sky in shades of violet and gold, a resolve hardened within him. 1 100 years had passed since the last disciple had attempted that forgotten path. It was said to be fraught with peril, a road leading to guaranteed failure. But for a man standing at the precipice, even the most dangerous path is preferable to the fall. That night, under the cloak of darkness and a sliver of a crescent moon, Lin Feng slipped past the inattentive guard and into the silent, dust-choked Scripture Pavilion. His destination: a secluded corner where forgotten knowledge slumbered. And there it was. A palm-sized jade slip, its surface cracked and dull, resting innocently on a bare shelf. As his fingers brushed against the cold, smooth surface, a shocking, icy energy shot up his arm, followed by a flood of profound and alien insights directly into his consciousness. A single, archaic phrase echoed in his mind, clear as a temple bell: "The Heavens favor not the gifted, but the relentless."