Chapter 79 Rivals Meet Again, Another Duel

As Lin Baixi accepted the Mother-Child Resonance Stone, Lin Moqin spoke up, "By doing this, you've already offended the Chen Family. Why not join forces with us to eliminate Eldrin (Person Name) and eradicate this threat once and for all?"

"As long as you agree to join forces, the Violet Light Mirror shall be yours once we succeed. What say you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiran’s expression twisted with greed. A second-tier, high-grade magical instrument was far too precious—enough to make even a Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator covet it.

However, after careful consideration, he suppressed the greed in his heart and shook his head in refusal.

That Chen Changxuan was the foremost expert in Yu County. In his prime at Celestial Ruins Mountain, he had once single-handedly held off 30 Foundation Establishment demons for 2 quarters of an hour.

"Scheming against his clan members is something I might still resolve, but forming a death feud with him would be truly unwise."

"And to be perfectly honest, I don't trust you either."

"I advise you to make this endeavor absolutely clean, or I'll have no choice but to flee beyond the border provinces."

Zhang Yiran's words still hung in the air as he turned and departed from the courtyard.

Watching him depart, Lin Moqin’s heart sank. He turned to Lin Baixi and urged, “Perhaps we should give up.”

"That Eldrin's strength is a notch above even ours, and with the Violet Light Mirror in his possession, even if we join forces to defeat him, I fear we may not be able to eliminate him for good."

Unfortunately, Lin Baixi was beyond reasoning now. A hint of frenzied crimson flashed in his eyes as he seized Lin Moqin’s hand, trembling. “Uncle Moqin, if I do not avenge the loss of my arm, I will never know peace in this lifetime.”

"That scoundrel possesses extraordinary talent, breaking through to the second level of Foundation Establishment in just a few short years. If we cannot eliminate him now, I fear we shall never have another chance."

"Now that we have incurred their enmity, if we don't suppress the Chen Family, our Lin Family will inevitably face reckoning someday."

"But..." Lin Moqin (Person Name) hesitated, a troubled expression on his face, yet he couldn't resist advising, "With our current level of cultivation, we may not be able to completely eradicate him."

"Rest assured, Uncle," Lin Baixi revealed a sinister smile, his gaze icy as he declared, "With the spirit stones the clan provided, I have purchased an Earth-Shattering Divine Thunder Pearl from the Fengyang Pavilion."

"What?"

Lin Moqin’s expression shifted abruptly. The Xu Clan’s Earth Dominion Divine Thunder Bead was a single-use divine thunder forged by a Zi Mansion cultivator through condensing their own supernatural power.

Although limited by its medium, the power of the Earth-Sundering Divine Thunder Pearl fell far short of what a Purple Mansion cultivator could unleash personally. Yet, wielded skillfully, it was more than enough to annihilate a Foundation Establishment, Late Stage cultivator.

The power and value of this Divine Thunder Pearl were in no way inferior to the Talisman of the Blazing Heaven Sword (Magic Treasure), which the Chen family ancestors had refined at great cost using precious materials. Even the Xu family was generally reluctant to sell such an item.

By all accounts, this item should be worth around 4,000 spirit stones. Yet Lin Baixi spent a staggering 7,000 spirit stones to acquire it—a steep premium that clearly demonstrated his ruthless determination.

"How could you act on your own authority?" Lin Moqin's(Person Name) expression shifted repeatedly before he finally sighed in resignation. "Alas, if we fail to eliminate him this time, I fear it will bring calamity upon our clan. You'd better tread carefully."

Seeing him relent, Lin Baixi breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled slyly, "Rest assured, Uncle. With the Paired Resonance Stones in hand, even if he survives the strike of the Earthen Thunder Pearl, there's no way he can escape our grasp."

Early the next morning, Eldrin bid farewell to Meng Xinghe and the others, then flew toward the direction of Verdant Chariot Mountain in Yu County.

Although the Aqua Essence was a bit pricey, Eldrin considered his mission accomplished now that he had managed to acquire it along with 3 jin and 4 liang of Goldthread Silkworm Fiber.

Not to mention, they had also purchased a magic tool each for the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder. Both elders had only recently established their foundations, and their strength should have been at the very bottom of Foundation Establishment, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm).

But now, they each possessed several magical artifacts, and even had a mid-grade, second-tier treasure as their ultimate trump card. Although their spiritual energy was insufficient to unleash more than 70 or 80 percent of the artifact's full power, among those at the Foundation Establishment, Early Stage, they could already be considered quite formidable.

After flying for 3 days straight, Eldrin had traveled approximately 10 1000 miles. On this day, he finally sensed something amiss.

That day, Eldrin was resting when 2 streaks of sword light unexpectedly closed in from afar. Lifting his gaze, Eldrin immediately recognized the newcomers as Lin Baixi and Lin Moqin.

"They come with ill intent."

A cold glint flashed in Eldrin's eyes. Confident in his extraordinary skills and fearless courage, he did not retreat immediately but instead charged directly toward Lin Baixi.

Since they came with ill intentions, he would strike first to gain the upper hand. Seizing the moment as they fanned out to encircle him, he launched a preemptive assault.

Lin Baixi watched as Eldrin launched his attack, immediately unleashing a cyan sword gleam and the Barrier-Breaking Heart-Locking Spike in response.

He truly lived up to being an Eldrin (Person Name) Foundation Establishment cultivator—the moment he made his move, he unleashed 2 Second Tier, Mid Grade (Cultivation Rank) magical instruments. Even an ordinary Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator would likely frown upon this and brace for a cautious response.

However, Eldrin was already a far cry from his former self. In the mere 5 years since the Verdant Chariot Mountain Duel, he had broken through yet another cultivation layer, elevating his spiritual power by a full measure.

Crucially, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss had advanced to mid-second rank. Its power now far surpassed what it had been 5 years prior, unleashing a formidable 6-zhang sword radiance with offensive capabilities rivaling those of a high-second rank magical instrument.

A single sword cry echoed through the void as the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss erupted with dazzling sword aura. Its azure blade radiance twisted abruptly, sending both the cyan flying sword and the Barrier-Breaking Heart-Lock Spike flying backward.

The sword radiance surged forth unabated, ringing sharply as it slashed toward Lin Baixi. The might of this strike far surpassed its previous power; even after having over half its force dissipated by 2 magical artifacts, it still carried astonishing residual force.

If this sword were to strike, Lin Baixi's defensive magical treasure would likely be shattered in a single blow.

Not good.

Seeing Eldrin’s extraordinary skill, Lin Moqin rushed over urgently and hastily summoned a 3-inch flying dagger to strike.

This blade was known as the Void-Severing Flying Dagger, Lin Moqin's signature magic treasure. Even among mid-grade Tier-2 artifacts, it stood out as exceptional. As the treasure swept forward, it proved immediately effective, blocking the residual power of the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure).

Not only that, Lin Moqin deftly summoned yet another Glazed Golden Light, striking directly at Eldrin’s brow. It turned out to be a second-tier, medium-grade spear artifact.

"Bzzz—"

Eldrin expanded the Bell of 9 Echoes, disregarding Lin Moqin's assault as he unleashed his trump technique once more.

A brilliant streak of white light shot forth—it was none other than the Taibai Severing Dust Blade.

This blade was a second-grade, superior-quality magic weapon. Though Eldrin could only unleash 70 percent of its power with his current spiritual energy, it was more than enough to easily slay Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage cultivators—even Foundation Establishment, Late Stage experts would have to treat it with serious caution.

"Taibai Severing Dust Blade?"

As the Great White Severing Dust Blade came slashing down, Lin Baixi, who had finally managed to catch his breath, paled. He knew he had miscalculated.

He never could have imagined that Eldrin (Person Name) had not only advanced his Lifebound Immortal Sword by another grade, but had also obtained this renowned magical artifact of the Verdant Sun Sect.

Left with no alternative, Lin Baixi gritted his teeth and summoned the Purple Sun Crucible—1 of the Lin family’s foundational treasures. From the crucible erupted Violet Sun Truefire, cascading down like a torrent as it sought to engulf and refine the Taibai Severing Dust Blade.

"How dare you use this Violet Sun Cauldron in my presence?"

Eldrin sneered coldly, the Violet Light Mirror in his hand radiating a beam of mirror light that brought the Violet Sun Cauldron descending.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying with it the scent of blood and decay. A young man in tattered blue robes knelt amidst the snow, his fingers tracing the ancient characters carved into the weathered stone tablet before him. His name was Lin Feng, and he had been stranded in this desolate place for 3 days. "Just a bit more," he whispered, his breath forming mist in the frigid air. "The ninth level of the Profound Ice Art is within reach." Suddenly, a brilliant flash of crimson light erupted from the east, illuminating the entire mountain range. Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. That was no ordinary phenomenon—it was the sign of a treasure's manifestation, something that occurred only once every 1000 years. He rose to his feet, his movements fluid despite the harsh conditions. Reaching into his spatial pouch, he retrieved 30-2 mid-grade spirit stones and arranged them in a circular formation around himself. The stones glowed with a soft blue light, their energy merging with his own spiritual power. "Time to move," he muttered. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure). The blade hummed with contained power, its edge sharper than a dragon's claw. As he prepared to depart, an aged voice echoed through the pass. "The Crimson Phoenix Feather has awakened. The great sects will send their disciples. Do you truly believe a lone cultivator like yourself can compete?" Lin Feng didn't turn to face the speaker. "The strong take what they will," he replied calmly. "I may be alone, but I have my methods." The old man chuckled, his form materializing from the shadows. "Arrogant youth. Do you know how many have died seeking that treasure? Countless! For thousands of years, the strongest cultivators have perished in that cursed valley." "Then what's 1 more?" Lin Feng's lips curved into a faint smile. He channeled his spiritual energy, and the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) burst into flames. "Besides, I've always been lucky." With those words, he shot toward the crimson light like an arrow, leaving trails of fire in his wake. The old cultivator watched him disappear into the distance, shaking his head slowly. "Foolish, but brave," the old man murmured to the empty air. "Perhaps he'll survive longer than the 20-some others who went before him this week alone." Far below, in the valley where the crimson light originated, figures in various sect robes were already gathering. The competition for the treasure had begun, and Lin Feng was determined to claim it for himself—no matter the cost.