ALL NOVEL Chapter 122: Duel
Six months later, near Peach Blossom Island.
Nightfall.
Onboard a large flying boat, over thirty meters long:
“Peach Blossom Island, you Ruan bastards, I’m coming for you!”
The eldest Kou brother, clad in silver-white spirit armor and holding his helmet, stared icily towards Peach Blossom Island, his face radiating murderous intent.
Years ago, he had accepted the Lu Clan patriarch’s invitation to ambush Ruan Xingling but suffered a humiliating defeat, even losing his second brother in the chaos!
Once renowned as the fearsome Three Fiends of the Kou Clan at Qingzhu Mountain Market, now only one lone survivor remained!
This grudge ran deeper than the sea and higher than the sky!
Seeking revenge constantly weighed on the eldest Kou brother’s mind, yet he was unable to overcome Ruan Xingling’s strength!
Later, he secretly joined the Dragonfish Zhong Clan, becoming their black glove to execute covert operations. In the process, his cultivation base significantly improved, reaching the great perfection stage of the tenth level of Qi Refinement!Due to his additional Body Tempering practice, his prowess matched that of a Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator. This impressed a Zhong Clan elder who bestowed upon him a set of ‘White Turtle Armor’ and a heavy black metallic sword. Disguised as the once notorious ‘silver-armored figure,’ who mysteriously vanished after causing havoc, he was tasked with attacking Spirit Hollow Market.
Although his identity was later suspected by the Taishu Family, maintaining this facade remained crucial before tensions escalated openly.
“Listen up, everyone! Tonight’s assault on Peach Blossom Island will primarily target Mirror Moon Lake. There isn’t a single Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator there, so feel free to enjoy yourselves… Don’t worry about the Thirty-Six Islands’ law enforcement team; they have an understanding with our superiors and won’t interfere with our fun!” The leader of the Kou Clan addressed the vicious group behind him.
Despite the hostile relationship between the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance and the Zhong Family, the alliance comprised numerous factions with complex dynamics. Among them, the ‘Sanshang Family’ particularly opposed any Foundation Establishment cultivator emerging from Peach Blossom Island.
Behind the Kou Clan leader, various menacing cultivators cheered loudly. Some were Plunderers he had casually recruited over the years, while others hailed from the Dragonfish Zhong Clan!
Their efforts were instrumental in the recent attack on Black Sand Island’s Mo Clan.
“Boss, Peach Blossom Island has three key locations: Mirror Moon Lake, Twin Peaks, and Jade Cliff, each guarded by protective formations…” A middle-aged man stepped forward, clad in teal robes, gracefully waving an ivory folding fan. His demeanor suggested that he must have been quite handsome in his youth.
Now, with narrowed eyes and a cunning demeanor, he resembled a sly military advisor.
“Mo Qingyu… We owe much of our success against the Mo Clan to your inside help, ha ha… I truly admire you, ruthless enough to betray even your own family! If you have any ideas, speak freely!” The Kou Clan leader’s voice boomed like a tolling bell.
This middle-aged man was none other than Mo Qingyu from the Mo Clan, who had once vied for Ruan Xingling’s affection alongside Feng Manlou!
After the death of the previous Mo Clan patriarch, due to his numerous enemies, Mo Qingyu was expelled from the island and disappeared without a trace. It turns out, he became a Plunderer cultivator!
“Hmph, that new clan head belonged to my sworn enemy’s faction. Once he took power, he relentlessly suppressed my supporters, creating a deep-seated blood feud!” Mo Qingyu snorted coldly before continuing, “Ruan Dan will undoubtedly be at Mirror Moon Lake. Allow me to lead a squad to attack Jade Cliff first, feigning strength to draw attention.”
“How so? Do you hold a grudge against those cultivators there?” A chill flickered in the Kou Clan leader’s eyes.
The three families on Peach Blossom Island were all former subordinates of Ruan Xingling and thus, his enemies!
Given the chance, Mo Qingyu would not hesitate to settle scores with each one!
Pausing momentarily, he asked, “What is the defensive strength over there?”
“Rest assured, leader,” Mo Qingyu continued, “there are only two cultivators at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, one severely injured and the other overly cautious - hardly a concern… The formation is merely mid-tier first rank. Even without a Barrier Breaking Talisman, give me a few men to encircle and attack for half an hour, and we’ll surely breach it!”
Mo Qingyu’s magical energy surged, indicating he had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. As a Plunderer cultivator, daily combat was routine, granting him immense experience in lethal encounters.
Just six months prior, during the assault on Black Sand Island, it was his hand that personally severed the head of Patriarch Mo.
“Hmph, bring more brothers along and chop off that old turtle’s head!” Kou Clan’s leader swiftly made his decision.
After splitting their forces, the spirit boat boldly entered Peach Blossom Island’s airspace, hovering above a lake shimmering like polished jade.
Boom!
Formation markings flickered across the spirit boat, channeling vast amounts of spiritual light into a massive bolt of lightning that struck the Watersun Formation below.
Within the formation, a radiant full moon clashed with the thunder, rapidly draining its energy.
The deafening impact instantly triggered panic throughout the island.
Shouts of battle, cries for help, and wails of despair mingled together as chaos began to spread…
At Jade Cliff, the deafening noise jolted Lu Guo awake. As he stepped outside and assessed the situation, his heart sank with dread.
The Little Cloudrain Array flickered, dispersing layers of mist to reveal a hazy view of the chaos unfolding beyond.
A group of over a dozen Mid Qi Refinement cultivators, led by a middle-aged scholar in Late Stage Qi Refinement, unleashed a barrage of magical artifacts and paper talismans against the formation.
“Unfortunate! Plunderer cultivators?!”
Lu Guo hastily retrieved a dual-headed golden shuttle artifact. Meanwhile, Hai Dagui, Widow Wang, and Wang Xiaohu emerged, their faces filled with deep concern.
“They’re really here? Oh my god…”
Hai Dagui’s limbs trembled slightly, hands shaking as he held his paper talisman.
“We must confront them head-on!” Widow Wang brandished a long black-bladed artifact, shielding Wang Xiaohu behind her.
“As expected…” Fang Xi, clad in a blue mage robe, stepped out from the courtyard gate. His gaze remained calm, devoid of surprise, like still water.
“Master!” Seeing Fang Xi’s composed demeanor, Hai Dagui and the others felt reassured, as if finding their steadfast leader amidst chaos.
“The enemy is formidable; our Little Cloudrain Array is only a mid-tier first-rank formation and won’t withstand sustained bombardment… Once they breach it, the aftermath of their attacks will still destroy the spirit field.”
Fang Xi gently caressed the spirit seedlings, his expression filled with reluctance.
‘At this critical moment, why worry about these spirit seedlings?’ Lu Guo’s eye twitched uncontrollably. Drawing from his years of combat experience, he knew that as soon as the large array fell, they should leap into the lake to escape, perhaps grasping onto a slim chance of survival!
After all, their side had just two individuals at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, while the opposing force boasted Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators!
“Come, join me outside the array to confront the enemies!” Fang Xi retrieved a peach wood sword, gripped it firmly, and addressed Lu Guo and the others.
Without hesitation, he strode towards the edge of the formation, his face calm and composed.
“This…” Hai Dagui gritted his teeth and followed closely behind.
“If you’re seeking death, Master, don’t drag us widows and orphans along…” Widow Wang muttered angrily but also trailed after him.
“You lot… Ahh!” Lu Guo stomped his foot in frustration, swiftly assessing both sides’ strengths before stopping at the boundary of the formation.
As Fang Xi stepped outside the Little Cloudrain Array’s coverage, he spotted Mo Qingyu, now appearing middle-aged. “Isn’t this Fellow Daoist Mo Qingyu? How have you aged so drastically?”
“You old tortoise, today I’ll finally chop off your dog head!” The sight of Fang Xi stirred both new and old grudges within Mo Qingyu.
Years ago, Fang Xi had humiliated him with a mere low-grade flying sword, a humiliation Mo Qingyu never forgot!
With a flick of his ivory fan, Mo Qingyu channeled the powerful magical energy of Late Stage Qi Refinement, creating streams of green spiritual light that formed razor-sharp wind blades, sweeping towards Fang Xi.
Facing these deadly cyclonic blades, Fang Xi performed a double-handed seal, “Wooden Shield Technique!”
Rumble!
The ground cracked open, revealing a massive wooden wall akin to a colossal shield, effectively blocking all the green wind blades. Although each blade left deep gashes on the wooden shield, they ultimately failed to penetrate through it.
“This…” Mo Qingyu’s eye twitched as he exclaimed, “You’ve reached Late Stage Qi Refinement already?”
“It took me several decades to barely break through to the late stage! Aren’t you at the same level?”
With a hearty laugh, Fang Xi clasped his hands together and shouted, “Earth Spike Technique!”
Pffft! Pffft!
The ground split open, unleashing numerous wooden spikes with a black iron sheen, each adorned with thorns.
Against Late Stage Qi Refinement magic, these Mid Qi Refinement Plunderers were practically defenseless, akin to sitting ducks. The wooden spikes pierced through their protective shields effortlessly, striking vital areas and causing blood to splatter…
In just one move, over a dozen Mid Qi Refinement Plunderers were annihilated!
“This power… something’s not right!” Mo Qingyu activated a green jade pendant, creating a shimmering barrier that barely repelled a single wooden spike. Suddenly, he realized confronting this individual tonight might have been a grave mistake.
‘Divine sense assistance truly gives a formidable edge in combat…’
Currently, Fang Xi was indeed only utilizing magical energy from the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.
However, after two minor breakthroughs, his divine sense could now cover approximately twenty meters, making it highly effective for coordinating in battle. With divine sense at play, every movement and even the flow of his opponent’s magical energy became crystal clear, almost as if cheating.
This allowed him to pinpoint vulnerabilities precisely, turning an ordinary ‘Earth Spike Technique’ into a deadly attack capable of slaying multiple Mid Qi Refinement cultivators in a single strike.
Even their defensive weaknesses were crystal clear to him!
Thus, with just an ordinary ‘Wood Thorn Technique’, he could slay over a dozen Mid Qi Refinement opponents.
‘With divine sense assistance, I can achieve maximum results using minimal magical energy.’
‘Now, relying solely on magic spells, I am capable of defeating average Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators!’
Fang Xi let out a triumphant laugh as his peach wood sword transformed into a streak of deep green light, soaring through the air.
“Ha!”
Mo Qingyu attempted to defend with his fan-shaped magical artifact, but after a few exchanges, he sensed something was amiss.
The peach wood sword consistently evaded critical strikes, effortlessly dodging his lethal moves, and each thrust came from unexpected angles, leaving him drenched in cold sweat. Without his jade pendant’s defense, he might have been killed multiple times already!
“This…”
Lu Guo also broke into a cold sweat, suddenly recalling stories from his childhood about how this man had single-handedly suppressed the entire Lu Clan with just one sword. His combat prowess was unrivaled on Peach Blossom Island!
It seemed evident now that Fang Xi’s skills remained razor-sharp!
No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that the blade had been sheathed all along, only revealing its sharpness today!
Mo Qingyu sensed defeat creeping in and frantically channeled magical energy into his ivory fan, deflecting Fang Xi’s peach wood sword. He swiftly released several paper talismans to entangle Fang Xi while making a hasty retreat towards Mirror Moon Lake.
However, as he passed near a pit, an unexpected change occurred!
Several seeds rapidly sprouted, and vines burst forth, ensnaring him instantly!
It was an Entangling Spell trap! Unbeknownst to Mo Qingyu, Fang Xi had anticipated his escape route beforehand.
With a swift movement, Fang Xi appeared before Mo Qingyu and casually delivered a slap.
Crack!
The jade pendant shield shattered, followed by Mo Qingyu’s skull deforming…
“Master, your divine might!” Lu Guo, who had stepped out of the formation unnoticed, now stood alongside Hai Dagui, cheering for Fang Xi.
At that moment, Fang Xi glanced towards Mirror Moon Lake, noticing faint flickers of firelight emerging from that direction.
“Is Mirror Moon Lake under attack? Could it be the silver-armored fiend?” Widow Wang’s expression turned grim.
“You all, return to the formation and stay vigilant. Do not venture outside!”
Fang Xi maintained his extended divine sense, relieved to find no Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby. With newfound confidence, he pointed at Lu Guo. “Lu Guo, with your highest cultivation base among them, accompany me to investigate Mirror Moon Lake…”