He wore a serene expression, as if admiring the scenery within the clouds. Decades of torment and cultivation had completely severed the connection between his inner emotions and his outward expressions. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed at the small mountain peak gradually emerging in the distance.
Smiling, he glanced at Tang Shedu and spoke softly, "Senior Brother, why not descend and take a look?"
On the mountain peak, two figures stood locked in confrontation. One of them wielded a pair of large copper bowls, unleashing arcs of lightning and flickering purple light, his expression ferocious. His attire was unfamiliar, suggesting a lineage not commonly seen.
The other figure held twin blades, his body exuding a black and red mist-like flame. His expression was equally tense, with anger barely restrained, as he spoke in a cold tone, "Miao Ye... you truly are out to make life difficult for me, are you not?"
Miao Ye clutched the two copper bowls tightly, his face fierce. Between them, resting on the peak, was a long halberd of deep golden hue. Its shaft curved like a crescent moon, towering taller than an average person, standing silently on the mountain.
"There is no one else here, and the closing of the grotto heaven is near. Why not settle this with a proper fight?" Miao Ye suggested.
Overlooking the scene from the clouds, Yu Muxian appeared relaxed, while Tang Shedu cradled his own halberd, his demeanor indifferent. Yet his gaze lingered on the golden halberd below, betraying a glimmer of interest. He murmured, "That is Situ Chen... the current heir of the Situ Family. After so many years of turmoil in the Golden Tang Gate, how many heirs have died? At last, there is one who is capable."
Yu Muxian's eyes glowed faintly white as he activated his perception technique to examine the artifact on the peak. His own Immortal Foundation circulated within him, its power now even more extraordinary as he had advanced to the late Foundation Establishment Realm. Immediately, he gleaned details about the artifact.
"It is indeed an ancient Foundation Establishment Realm artifact," Yu Muxian said softly. "Likely belonging to some general of the Wei State from long ago. It carries the essence of the Bright Yang. The Wei State always loved crafting halberds and spears as symbols of their valor."
Tang Shedu paused, then chuckled. "When Zhao Zhaowu Emperor conquered the Wei State, he melted down all their weapons to forge the Heavenly Martial Hall . These kinds of artifacts vanished after that. Only a place like this grotto heaven could still hold remnants."
"Senior Brother, are you tempted?" Yu Muxian teased with a faint smile.
Tang Shedu clasped his hands behind his back, smiling lightly. "Though it does not perfectly align with my cultivation technique, it is still an ancient artifact. Studying it could be of great benefit."
"As for these two..." Tang Shedu cast an indifferent glance toward the peak. "Kill the one from the Miao Family. As for the one from the Situ Family—Situ Tang had ties with our master. We should at least show some courtesy."
Tang Shedu lifted the halberd in his arms and lightly tapped his belt. Instantly, golden radiance surged around him, coalescing into a majestic suit of spirit armor.
Yu Muxian adjusted his feathered robe, more suited to spellwork than combat, and smiled faintly. "I wonder how Senior Brother's cultivation measures up these days. Why not go down and try?"
"With pleasure!" Tang Shedu laughed heartily and descended toward the peak with his halberd.
Miao Ye and Situ Chen were in the midst of their clash when Tang Shedu arrived, flying through the air. Both hesitated briefly, sensing his arrival. Yet, before they could react, Tang Shedu's expression turned cold. With a quick flick and hook of his halberd, he unleashed a powerful strike directly at Miao Ye.
In a single breath, white light surged from the halberd, forming six sharp branches that materialized in the void, all aiming for Miao Ye's throat. The flowing brilliance swept away the crackling lightning around them, leaving nothing but sharp force in its wake.
Miao Ye, caught completely off guard by Tang Shedu's sudden intervention, inwardly cursed his misfortune. He raised one of the copper bowls in defense, letting it spin in midair while his other hand formed a fist. Pressing his thumb against his throat and spreading his other four fingers outward, he activated a secret technique.
This move revealed the depth of his background as a disciple of an ancient Purple Mansion Realm Immortal Clan. Drawing upon a nearby meridian point with his body, he channeled his mana and unleashed four bolts of lightning, barely managing to fend off the branches. He quickly retreated, forming seals as he moved.
However, the copper bowl in the air emitted a dull thud before being blasted backward at an even faster speed. The concentrated lightning it had gathered dissipated into scattered purple sparks. Tang Shedu's halberd, undeterred, flipped upward. The intricate patterns on the arm guards of his domineering armor shimmered, stinging Miao Ye's eyes as the halberd surged forward, aiming straight for his forehead.
Damn it! Such fierce halberd techniques, and he's gotten so close! Miao Ye thought frantically.
Unable to form seals in time, Miao Ye brought both copper bowls before him as a shield. He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood that transformed into a bloody bolt of lightning aimed at the halberd.
The qi blade of the halberd, shorter than a spear yet wider and heavier, clashed against the bloody lightning in an instant.
Boom!
The bloody lightning barely lasted a moment before dissipating into glowing fragments. The twin copper bowls, trembling under the halberd's onslaught, barely managed to block the strike. A shockwave erupted in the air, sending ripples of force and streams of purple and white energy cascading outward, pushing the surrounding clouds far into the distance.
"Decisive enough," Tang Shedu remarked coldly, retracting his long halberd with ease and hovering midair.
Seeing this, Situ Chen, who had been watching from the side, exclaimed in shock, "The Long Sky Halberd , Tang Shedu!"
The man before him was a renowned and ruthless killer, a senior cultivator with a long-standing reputation. Situ Chen quickly clasped his hands together, transforming into a streak of crimson light that shot away like a meteor, leaving a long tail behind as he vanished into the sea of clouds.
Tang Shedu glanced at him with disdain, while Miao Ye, standing before him, was frantically forming hand seals and retreating step by step, his heart pounding in fear.
Miao Ye knew very well who he was facing. When Tang Shedu had roamed the world, Miao Ye had still been a minor cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Realm, yet even then, he had heard of Tang Shedu's fearsome reputation. Back in those days, only a select few, like Yang Tianya or Yu Yuxie, could rival him.
If this man had not hit a bottleneck... he would probably already have broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm by now. Damn it! How did I end up provoking someone like him? Miao Ye's thoughts were racing with terror.
After a single exchange, he realized he was no match for this opponent. No matter how hard he tried, he could, at best, delay the inevitable. Sooner or later, he would meet his end here. Desperately, he pleaded, "Senior... I have no intention of competing for this treasure. I am even willing to hand over all I have gained in this grotto heaven... I only beg that you spare my life!"
Tang Shedu looked intrigued and smiled faintly. "I have killed so many people over the years. Back then, the Thunder Techniques had not yet emerged, I never had the chance to kill a thunder cultivator with an Immortal Foundation. Killing you now would fill that gap nicely."
Tang Shedu's previous attack had sent Situ Chen fleeing in disgrace, and now Miao Ye was desperately begging for his life. Watching from above the clouds, Yu Muxian nodded silently to himself.
Although neither of them is weak, my senior brother's strength is undeniable. With his premeditated strike and sudden appearance, it's no wonder he managed to terrify these two. But if they were to truly engage in a life-and-death battle, it would probably take him a hundred or so rounds to kill Miao Ye.
He mused over whether Tang Shedu could indeed finish the fight within a hundred exchanges when, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his ears. A piercing ringing sound filled his head, accompanied by a sense of foreboding.
"Hmm?" Yu Muxian frowned. A wave of panic began to rise in his chest, but it was quickly quelled by a surge of suppressive power that restored his calm. Quietly, he thought to himself, It seems... someone has come seeking their own death!