The next moment, Niu Dazhuang, wreathed in Evil Qi, charged straight for Song Changsheng with his Great Halberd in hand. He too understood the principle of playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses.

Magical Combat wasn’t his strong suit, but the Great Halberd in his hands moved with wide, sweeping motions, each strike powerful and heavy. Infused with Evil Qi, it allowed him to unleash his full strength in close combat.

And that was precisely Song Changsheng’s weakness against him!

Song Changsheng knew what he was planning. Having already suffered once, he had no intention of engaging in close combat again. He had no choice but to continuously use [Fleeting Shadows] to twist and dodge, trying to create distance.

With one chasing and the other fleeing, neither could gain the upper hand for a time.

Meanwhile, the battle between Yinn Shang and Xia Qingxue had reached a fever pitch. The more they clashed, the more astonished Yinn Shang became by the woman before him.

Although he hadn’t yet used his Spiritual Artifact, he was already fighting with seventy percent of his strength. After dozens of rounds, she hadn’t fallen behind in the slightest.

One had to know that even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator would find it difficult to last so long against him, yet Xia Qingxue was only at the Early-stage Foundation Establishment.

’Where did the Golden Crow Sect find such a prodigy?’ Just like the Celestial Vein Sect, Luoxia City had pitifully little information on Xia Qingxue. It was as if she had appeared out of thin air.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time she had revealed her strength to the outside world. Before this, her abilities had always been a mystery.

Yinn Shang was intentionally probing her strength, which was why he was holding back. Otherwise, if he had brought out his Spiritual Artifact from the start, she would have been defeated long ago.

Just as the battlefield reached a stalemate, Hou Tianming, who had been struck down by the Array earlier, slowly regained consciousness. He was now lying in the valley, his breathing faint, without even the strength to get up on his own.

The Array’s final strike was not to be underestimated; he had been completely unable to block it. If not for a protective treasure he carried, he would have already been invited to have tea with King Yama.

Looking at the two battlefields in the sky, Hou Tianming was both shocked and enraged. He was shocked that the two people he had dismissed could actually hold their own against Yinn Shang and Niu Dazhuang.

He was enraged that he could only lie on the ground, completely uninvolved, reduced to a mere spectator.

’I’m the one who broke the Array, so what right do they have!’ A venomous look appeared in Hou Tianming’s eyes. He gazed at the valley not far away, feeling the immense life force, and a crazed expression spread across his face.

’If I can’t have it, no one can!’

He mustered all his strength, took a Tier Two Talisman from his Qiankun Bag, and activated it. The Talisman quickly burned to ashes, transforming into a ball of white light that shot straight into the valley.

Seeing this, Song Changsheng, who was entangled with Niu Dazhuang in the air, his expression changed drastically. He roared, "You dare!"

He couldn’t be bothered with anything else now. He immediately summoned the [Luwu Bell], trying to block the attack before it reached the Spirit Plant.

But he was a step too slow. He could only watch helplessly as the ball of light landed next to the Spirit Plant.

BOOM—

With a tremendous explosion, the Spirit Plant instantly disintegrated. The green vine, the green leaves, and the fruit each transformed into a streak of light and shot off in different directions.

Two of the streaks were closest to Yinn Shang and Xia Qingxue. They decisively stopped fighting and each chased after one of the streaks of light.

The remaining streak happened to be in Song Changsheng’s direction. He hurriedly used [Fleeting Shadows] to give chase.

The three of them each had a target, and for a moment, Niu Dazhuang didn’t know which one to pursue.

But soon, he remembered the culprit who caused all this. Rage filled his chest. No matter what, the rest of them had been competing fairly, but then some bastard had suddenly popped up and flipped the table. This was absolutely intolerable!

He descended to the ground and walked toward Hou Tianming step by step, a dangerous aura radiating from his entire body.

Watching the approaching Niu Dazhuang, Hou Tianming showed no fear on his face. He sneered, "What, what are you going to do?

I am a Direct Disciple of a Celestial Vein Sect Elder. If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, it will be the same as declaring war on my Celestial Vein Sect!"

Niu Dazhuang’s gaze was icy. He reached out with a hand as large as a cattail fan, yanked him up, and said coldly, "Damn it, are you threatening me?"

"You could say that."

"Heh, a Direct Disciple of the Celestial Vein Sect. So what?"

But Niu Dazhuang wasn’t buying it. He lifted Hou Tianming high into the air and, to the latter’s horrified gaze, slammed him violently into the ground.

BANG

Hou Tianming was embedded in the earth, and he instantly spat out a large mouthful of blood.

"You... you... you dare to touch me?" Hou Tianming’s eyes were filled with disbelief. He didn’t understand why his usually foolproof tactic had suddenly failed.

Niu Dazhuang chose to answer him with his actions. He simply picked him up again and slammed him down. This time, the force was even greater, and Hou Tianming actually passed out.

"Ptooey. Daring to threaten me, what a piece of trash." Niu Dazhuang spat a thick glob of phlegm and said disdainfully.

If it had been one of the Direct Disciples of a Golden Core Master, he might have been a bit more cautious. But a mere Direct Disciple of an Elder? He didn’t give a damn...

By this time, Song Changsheng had chased the streak of light for over a thousand *li*. When the distance closed to one hundred *zhang*, he decisively summoned the [Luwu Bell] and enveloped the light with it.

’Got you!’ Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up with joy. He eagerly inspected his catch and found a fist-sized fruit. It was bright red, making one want to take a bite.

’It’s actually the fruit. I wonder what kind of miraculous effects it has.’ Song Changsheng fell into thought as he looked at the fruit inside the [Luwu Bell]. Generally, a Spirit Plant’s fruit was its most essential part, but he didn’t know what kind of Spirit Plant this was, nor what the fruit’s effects were.

’There are only a few types of Tier Four Life-Extending Spirit Medicines, but that strange Spirit Plant isn’t among them. This fruit has such a rich life force... could it be a new species?’ Song Changsheng grew worried. ’If it’s really a Life-Extending Treasure, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it.’

But he soon came to terms with it. ’Who cares? Worst case, I’ll just trade it to Luoxia City.’

He prepared to take the fruit out, but the moment his finger touched it, the fruit instantly turned into a pool of liquid and was absorbed directly into him, leaving only a pit that looked like a peach stone. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

!!!

Staring at the scene before him, Song Changsheng’s brain shut down. ’Gone? Holy crap, it’s just gone?’

Song Changsheng hurriedly checked himself over and found that his body hadn’t changed at all after absorbing the liquid. Not even a sliver of Spiritual Power had been added, and he couldn’t find any trace of the liquid.

’What’s going on?’ Song Changsheng felt a little uneasy. ’This is too bizarre. I absorbed the Spiritual Liquid from a Tier Four Spirit Fruit, but nothing happened.’

With his level of Cultivation, consuming a Tier Four Spirit Fruit should have made his body explode and kill him. But right now, he didn’t feel a thing. This wasn’t logical.

’Well, at least I can rule out it being a Life-Extending Spirit Medicine. But this is going to be hard to explain, especially since the evidence is gone.’ Looking at the pit in his hand, Song Changsheng felt a headache coming on.

It was the only fruit, and its life force was so rich. If someone insisted it was a Life-Extending Spirit Medicine, he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of it even if he had ten thousand mouths.

’Sigh, I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.’ Song Changsheng put the pit away and headed back the way he came to regroup with Yinn Shang and the others.

The other two had already returned. Yinn Shang had obtained a leaf, and Xia Qingxue had gotten the green vine. Both were excellent Artifact Refining Materials, but they were clearly not satisfied.

When she saw Song Changsheng return, Xia Qingxue blocked his path and asked coldly, "You have the fruit?"

Song Changsheng had already thought of a plan on his way back. Hearing her question, he took out the pit and said with a wry smile, "The pulp dissolved after it was separated from the stem. I only managed to get the pit."

"Only the pit?"

Looking at the pit, which emanated a rich life force, the group exchanged glances. Surprisingly, no one questioned whether he had eaten it.

The reason was actually quite simple. A Tier Four Spirit Fruit was something even a Purple Mansion Cultivator would have to consume with extreme caution. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to eat it would be suicide.

Xia Qingxue said decisively, "That Spirit Plant was extraordinary. I must bring this seed back to my sect. I can trade you this vine in my hand, and I can offer other compensation as well. Name your price."

...