Chapter 70: Encountering Han Yin Again!

Although Xu Mao was not a sword cultivator, he had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Moreover, he was the ancestor of the Xu family. The Xu family was a Foundation Establishment power, with cultivators of this realm in every generation. Their lineage was long and their foundation deep.

Xu Mao himself excelled in the art of refining, being a second-tier artifact refiner. Thus, he possessed a multitude of magical tools, and his combat abilities were not necessarily inferior to Xun Zheng’s. After all, the current sword cultivator came from a Qi Refining family; his entire wealth lay in a single flying sword. Unwilling to risk everything, he could only admit defeat.

“Go!” Xu Mao summoned the Weak Water Pearl, unleashing waves like mountains crashing down upon Shen Yan.

Shen Yan said nothing. His sword moved with him, unsheathing in a flash, diving into the raging waves, battling fiercely against the torrents.

“Hmph!” Xu Mao snorted coldly, taking out another exquisite magical tool—a small, ancient-looking bell. He tossed the bell, which instantly radiated light, forming a solid defense.

The Flowing Light Shield, the Weak Water Pearl, and now the magical bell: three top-tier artifacts, each excelling in both offense and defense, revealing the depth of his resources. Yet Xu Mao was not finished. He produced a jade bottle, poured out a spirit pill, swallowed it, and began refining its power.

The spectators fell silent.

Suddenly, amidst the roaring waves, a dragon’s roar echoed. Xu Mao refined the pill, injecting more spiritual power, pushing the Weak Water Pearl to its limit. Water dragons surged forward, intent on crushing his opponent in the furious tide.

Yet Shen Yan, sword in hand, churned the waters. Though he showed no sign of defeat, he could not break through Xu Mao’s formation.

“Hmph! So much for sword cultivation!” Xu Mao sneered, but his posture remained vigilant. He drew out yet another top-tier artifact: a jade cauldron emanating a chilling aura, within which lingered the shadow of an ice flood dragon.

“Go!” With a grand gesture, Xu Mao hurled the jade cauldron into the waves. Instantly, the water froze into ice, sealing the heavens and earth. In the blink of an eye, Green Lotus Lake became a world of crystal, trapping Shen Yan in a prison of frozen shards.

“Xu Mao’s wealth is astounding!”
“Four top-tier magical tools!”
“No wonder he’s a second-tier artifact refiner.”

The crowd’s lips twitched, even Xuan Ji Zi sighed in awe. Despite their murmurs, the battle continued undisturbed.

Xu Mao stood atop the small bell, exerting his full power to drive the Weak Water Pearl and the jade cauldron. Water dragons transformed into ice dragons, howling in the biting wind, relentlessly assailing his foe, determined to kill Shen Yan within this frozen prison.

He had once used these very techniques to slay a formidable foe at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. The power of four top-tier artifacts needed no further elaboration. The only flaw was the enormous drain on spiritual power. Fortunately, these four artifacts complemented one another, forming a system that greatly reduced consumption. Otherwise, even with his cultivation, he could not wield all four at once.

“Xu Mao, be careful!”
Just as Xu Mao was about to finish his opponent, Zhao Ruoqin, watching from outside the ring, cried out in alarm.

“What?” Xu Mao’s expression changed, but before he could react, a resonant sword cry rang out from within the ice prison, like a dragon’s roar.

“Roar!”
The sword’s song was thunderous, its light like a dragon. Shen Yan leaped forth, a dazzling figure breaking free from the icy cage.

“This is…!”
“One Sword Breaks the Spell!”

At this sight, not only the spectators but even fellow sword cultivators looked upon Shen Yan with shock.

“Bang!”
A deafening crash scattered shards of ice. The sword light, like a dragon, roared out, shattering the prison in an instant and charging straight at Xu Mao.

Xu Mao’s face changed. He hurriedly activated the Flowing Light Shield to protect himself. The Flowing Light Shield was renowned for its defense—on par with lower-grade spiritual treasures. Yet the sword light, like a dragon, thundered forth. Though it was only a single strike, its power far exceeded Xun Zheng’s earlier technique.

What did it matter if one had a top-tier defensive artifact?

“Bang!”
A sharp, metallic crash erupted. Blinding sparks flew as the Flowing Light Shield shattered.

“Xu Mao!”
Zhao Ruoqin, watching from the sidelines, paled completely. Without regard for the rules of the arena, he sprang forward into the fray. But it was too late!

The sword light, like a dragon, descended in fury. It broke through the shield, revealing Xu Mao’s terrified face.

“No, I surrender—”
Xu Mao tried to plead for his life, but the blade did not pause. With a single fatal stroke, it swallowed his cry.

“Xu Mao!”
A flash of white light streaked across the battlefield, swift as lightning. Yet he was still a step behind. The sword light struck, colliding with him.

“Bang!”
The impact sent the sword light spinning dozens of feet away.

Shen Yan’s figure hovered in midair, staggering backward before steadying himself. On the other side, the white light dissipated, revealing the furious Zhao Ruoqin, ancestor of the Zhao family, his hair and beard bristling like a lion.

Zhao Ruoqin paid no heed to Shen Yan, rushing straight to Xu Mao. He found Xu Mao seated upright upon the ground, the Flowing Light Shield still circling him, the light from the small bell undimmed, seemingly unharmed.

But as Zhao Ruoqin drew near, he saw a crimson line slowly appear at Xu Mao’s neck.

“Pfft!”
A muffled burst of blood splattered, severing his head from his shoulders.

“Xu Mao!”
Zhao Ruoqin cried out, lunging forward, but a sword light, like a dragon’s roar, struck him head-on.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The clangor echoed fiercely. Caught off guard by the ferocity of the sword, even Zhao Ruoqin, a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert, was forced back.

Taking advantage, the sword light swept up all four magical artifacts and Xu Mao’s headless corpse.

“You—”
Zhao Ruoqin, driven back by the sword, glared at Shen Yan, his eyes nearly bursting with rage, hair bristling as he prepared to strike.

But—

“Zhao Ruoqin, do you dare violate the rules of my Vast Sea Sect?”
A thunderous rebuke pressed down, freezing Zhao Ruoqin in place.

Everyone turned toward the voice. Xuan Ji Zi stood atop the Vast Sea Sect, his own hair bristling in anger. How could he not be furious? The battle for spiritual lands and the rules of the arena were decreed by his sect. Now, someone had brazenly invaded the ring, humiliating the Vast Sea Sect. As its stationed steward, he could not let this slide.

Seeing Xuan Ji Zi’s rage, Zhao Ruoqin regained his senses, quickly bowing his head.

“In my moment of panic, I lost my composure. I beg your pardon, Steward.”

“Hmph!”
Xuan Ji Zi snorted, restraining his anger.
“Since you admit your fault, I’ll let it pass this time. If you do it again, I’ll report you to the sect and see you punished for insubordination!”

“Thank you, Steward!”
Zhao Ruoqin nodded hastily, breathing a sigh of relief. But soon, his anger reignited as he turned to Shen Yan.

“Scoundrel, how dare you strike so viciously!”