Chapter 347: Chapter 332: Difficult Execution!
Duanmu Yong panicked, truly panicked!
The entangled relationship between Zhouyang and the Profound Sun Immortal Sect was secondary; if he had the upper hand, he would at most spare Zhouyang’s life.
But now the problem is, not only does he not have the upper hand, he’s completely at a disadvantage!
The "Qianyang True Flame" burning on his defense shield was like a parasitic maggot; no matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn’t extinguish it.
On the opposite side, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, along with the "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python," were already joining forces to attack once again.
Boom!
Zhouyang formed a spell with his hand and raised it, unleashing a "Qianyang Divine Thunder" toward Duanmu Yong.
Jiang Fengxian also formed a seal with her jade hand, summoning a blue "Wood God Thunder" to strike at Duanmu Yong.
The "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python" was more straightforward, directly spitting out its Demon Pill that had been accumulated through bitter cultivation over the years, using it like a brick, and viciously hurling it at Duanmu Yong.
If the two humans and one python executed such a combined strike, even a "Fake Golden Core" purple-robed middle-aged cultivator would have to treat it seriously; not to mention Duanmu Yong, who had just destroyed two defensive artifacts.
Seeing this, his expression turned frantic, and he could no longer care about feeling pained for his treasures. Hurriedly, he waved his hand to retrieve and activate a talisman treasure.
The talisman treasure, also a rare defensive type, manifested as a large black bell upon activation.
Duanmu Yong slipped the black bell talisman treasure over himself, and his entire body dove inside the bell.
Boom boom boom!
Golden Divine Thunder and Wood God Thunder, along with the colorful Demon Pill, struck the black bell one after another, causing it to spin endlessly like a grinding disc, emitting a "clang clang clang" ringing sound.
However, the black bell had extremely strong defense; despite being repeatedly attacked, it showed no signs of dispersing.
Moreover, Zhouyang could feel that Duanmu Yong, hiding inside the black bell, was clearly using its power to extinguish the "Qianyang True Flame."
The "Qianyang True Flame" was indeed overbearing, but it could be extinguished. Whether it be powerful water element divine techniques or overwhelming strength beyond his realm, either could nullify it.
The black bell, as a defensive talisman treasure, and not just an ordinary Tier Five Lower Grade artifact, had the power to extinguish his current "Qianyang True Flame."
Upon realizing this, Zhouyang quickly shouted loudly, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, let’s intensify our attacks. Since Duanmu Yong even used a talisman treasure, it shows he’s out of moves. We must quickly defeat him to aid Fellow Daoist Xiao!"
"Fellow Daoist Zhou speaks rightly; watch my methods then."
In Jiang Fengxian’s beautiful eyes, a sharp light flashed. Upon responding to Zhouyang, she immediately raised her jade hand, taking out a dazzling silver talisman treasure.
She grasped the talisman treasure, infusing it with magical power to activate it. It rapidly transformed into a cyan bamboo sword, flying toward the black bell to slash it.
Talisman treasure against talisman treasure, coupled with assistance from Zhouyang and the "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python," the power of Duanmu Yong’s black bell talisman treasure rapidly depleted. Soon, the black bell’s form became illusory.
Seeing this situation, Duanmu Yong couldn’t care about face anymore, and shouted loudly, breathing like thunder, "Fellow Daoist Lin, save me!"
Hmm?
The purple-robed middle-aged cultivator Lin Ruihua, who was engaged with Xiao Feng, furrowed his brow, glanced at Duanmu Yong’s battle, and his expression slightly changed.
He hadn’t expected that Duanmu Yong couldn’t deal with even an injured Eighth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator and a Third-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator, ultimately requiring his help.
"Worthless!"
He silently cursed in his heart, his figure immediately moving to aid Duanmu Yong.
Duanmu Yong couldn’t die. If he died, aside from having to face the Profound Cauldron Sect’s interrogation later, today’s battle had a high chance of defeat, which he couldn’t accept.
However, while he wished to rescue someone, Xiao Feng wouldn’t let him have his way.
"Stay behind!"
With a loud shout, Xiao Feng’s magical power surged through his body, using full strength to wield several artifacts and fiercely attacking his opponent.
With the passage of time, the power of his offensive talisman treasure had already been depleted and dispersed. Now, he relied solely on the defensive talisman treasure given by Zhouyang to fend off Lin Ruihua’s attacks.
In hopes of turning the defense into offense, he could only use the Tier Four High-grade Spiritual Artifacts at hand.
"You seek death!"
Lin Ruihua gazed at Xiao Feng with a faint look of anger, waving his hand, sending a stream of purple-gold light angrily slashing toward Xiao Feng.
Within that purple-gold stream of light was a Tiger Head Saber Spiritual Artifact called the "Purple Gold Demon Slaying Saber," a powerful Tier Five artifact, extremely sharp, having already destroyed three of Xiao Feng’s artifacts in this battle.
If it weren’t for Xiao Feng being a Tier Four High-grade Refiner, with many spare artifacts on him, he probably wouldn’t have any artifacts left to use at this moment.
Seeing the Tiger Head Saber Spiritual Artifact slashing toward him, and having already tasted its power, he quickly manipulated his artifacts to evade, not daring to face it head-on.
However, even so, the difference in artifact rank and their cultivation levels allowed the Tiger Head Saber Spiritual Artifact to quickly catch up to his Square Brick Spiritual Artifact, slicing it in half on the spot, and then continued to fiercely strike the Yellow Heart-Protecting Mirror Defensive Talisman protecting him.
Puff!
Even with the Defensive Talisman blocking most of the Tiger Head Saber’s power, Xiao Feng, taking the hit head-on, still felt his throat move and spat a mouthful of fresh blood on the spot.
This wasn’t the first time he had spat blood; since clashing with Lin Ruihua, he had been constantly getting injured.
Although the "Fake Golden Core" has the word "fake," its power is indeed the Golden Core Power.
Each time they clashed head-on, even though he relied on magical artifacts and spirit talismans to block Lin Ruihua’s attacks, he inevitably suffered some backlash and countershock.
This kind of shock damage might not be fatal immediately, but accumulated over time, it would substantially damage his body and reduce his strength.
However, despite being at a disadvantage, Xiao Feng was relentless in taunting his opponent: "Hmph hmph, a Fake Golden Core is just a Fake Golden Core. Don’t think that refining an Outer Dao Golden Core makes you a true Golden Core Stage cultivator. You’re just a coward who has cut off his own path to Dao!"
Refining an "Outer Dao Golden Core" is tantamount to severing the Golden Core Dao, nullifying the possibility of forming a true Golden Core.
Under normal circumstances, even if a Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator obtained a Tier Five Demon Pill, they would mostly refrain from refining it into an "Outer Dao Golden Core."
Only in situations like the Yellow Sand Sect, faced with the extinction of their sect clan’s heritage, would some Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivators reluctantly abandon the Golden Core Dao to refine an "Outer Dao Golden Core" to gain Golden Core level combat power.
To those who refined an "Outer Dao Golden Core," neither true Golden Core Stage Cultivators nor Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivators held them in high regard.
Golden Core Stage Cultivators would not acknowledge the status of "Fake Golden Core" cultivators nor treat them as peers.
In the eyes of Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivators, "Fake Golden Core" cultivators were considered traitorous cowards who had betrayed the true meaning of cultivation.
Of course, due to the disparity in power, Golden Core Stage cultivators could openly show disdain toward "Fake Golden Core" cultivators, while Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivators typically expressed such thoughts privately or in their hearts, not openly.
Thus, Xiao Feng speaking like this in Lin Ruihua’s face was akin to calling a monk bald to his face—intolerable!
"Fine! Fine! Fine! Since you’re so eager to die, Lin will grant your wish!"
Driven to extreme ire, Lin Ruihua let out a manic laugh, his eyes teeming with killing intent.
Refining the "Outer Dao Golden Core" was already the most unendurable thorn in his heart, and with Xiao Feng treading on his last nerve, how could he not be raging mad?
In a fit of extreme rage, he even neglected whether Duanmu Yong was alive or dead, only desiring to slaughter Xiao Feng, who dared to touch his sore spot.
Enraged, he waved his hand, conjuring a radiant silver talisman treasure, activating it in tandem with his Tier Five Spiritual Artifact to launch a frenzied assault on Xiao Feng.
At this, Xiao Feng was left with not even a moment to speak, his face a mask of bitterness as he struggled with all his might to withstand Lin Ruihua’s tempestuous assault.
Meanwhile, with Xiao Feng desperately holding Lin Ruihua at bay, after Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian relentlessly attacked for more than half a quarter of an hour, they finally dismantled the black bell shielding Duanmu Yong, driving him into a corner.
"Damn it, you two cursed adulterers, and that damned Lin Ruihua, all of you just wait, I’ll make you pay!"
In the sky, Duanmu Yong glared venomously at Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, roaring as he hurled two black Thunder Pearls to blast away their artifacts attacking him, then swiftly collected his artifacts, transforming into a stream of light to flee the battlefield.
"Think you can escape now? Too late!"
Zhouyang’s eyes flashed as he swiftly utilized the "Godslaying Needle" Secret Technique to launch a Divine Sense attack on Duanmu Yong.
With his cultivation reaching the Third-Layer of the Purple Mansion, his Divine Sense Power had surged, finally matching and even surpassing that of a Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator.
Mm-hmm!
Ah!
A muffled grunt followed by a scream echoed one after another from Zhouyang and Duanmu Yong’s mouths. Duanmu Yong, who was flying at top speed, suddenly clutched his head and stopped in mid-air, convulsively shivering as if in a seizure.
In contrast, Zhouyang, though pale and trembling slightly, still had clear bright eyes and full consciousness.
Such is the nature of Divine Sense attacks; if the power disparity in Divine Sense is not vast, both sides are likely to suffer mutual destruction, unable to secure an outright victory.
Nevertheless, Zhouyang achieved his goal.
Jiang Fengxian, responding swiftly after Zhouyang had restrained Duanmu Yong, raised a finger pointing at him.
With a "whoosh," a green cyan sword light flashed past, and before Duanmu Yong could recover from the aftershock of the Divine Sense attack, the Cyan Bamboo Sword talisman treasure cleaved through his Protective Spiritual Light and sliced off his head, killing him outright!