*This must be some kind of long-range spell. Let me find his trail first!*
Yu Muxian had spent most of his time cultivating within the sect and had seldom engaged in real combat, but he possessed a vast repertoire of spells. In an instant, several methods of countering an attack flashed through his mind, and with a single thought, he settled on one: "Heavenly Gold Cymbals!"
He channeled his magic power. At the tip of his ring finger, power surged, pointing toward the earth as Kun; along the middle joint, metallic astral qi gathered into Dui; and at the central palace of his middle finger, the spell converged, radiating a golden glow that manifested in the sky.
Above Yu Muxian's head, a pair of golden cymbals covered in intricate patterns took shape, solidifying from illusion into reality. They hovered above him, spinning gently as a curtain of golden-white light cascaded downward, resonating in harmony with the Gold-Melting Cave immortal foundation within his body.
Using this spell in actual combat for the first time, he found it remarkably smooth.
He blinked, and feedback from the spell arrived immediately. A scene materialized before his eyes: a golden arrow inscribed with dark patterns, poised to burst through the clouds at any moment. Feeling a faint, distant resonance, he was taken aback.
*Is that... Li Xuanfeng?*
Archers were few and far between in the State of Yue, let alone one capable of shooting from such an immense distance. Coupled with the legendary dark-patterned golden arrow, how could Yu Muxian fail to recognize him? He had long paid close attention to the man's appearance and magical artifacts. Bitterness and resentment surged in his chest: *I was still hoping to turn our swords into plowshares... It seems I was far too naive! He actually means to harm me!*
"Xiao dog! Haha! You must be quite unfamiliar with the sight of Zhige!" Tang Shedu laughed wildly from nearby. "That so-called Elder of Mount Yu... looks like you're about to become the next Xiao Xianyou!"
Yu Muxian parted his lips and spat out a cluster of golden flakes. Expanding upon the wind, they swelled into six round shields etched all over with scale-like patterns, arranging themselves in various directions to guard every angle.
Executing three spells in rapid succession demonstrated his astonishing talent. Not only did he cast numerous arts with effortless ease, but even more remarkably, within an instant he could read the shifting currents of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy and alter his hand seals accordingly. This seamless fusion of innate gift and masterly instruction far surpassed those around him.
Li Xuanfeng had not originally needed to shoot Yu Muxian from such close range. However, within the grotto-heaven, the dense mist obstructed both spiritual sense and ocular techniques. The distant sniping that normally allowed him to kill foes from afar was no longer possible here.
Xiao Yongling, renowned as the Elder of Mount Yu, was by no means an easy opponent. Flourishing his magic sword into a dazzling blossom, he drove his Mount Dongyu immortal foundation to its peak and spat out a stream of white qi.
The white qi scattered through the air, boring downward with full force as it spun and danced. The ambient spiritual currents solidified, coalescing into the faint silhouette of a great mountain that neither rose nor fell, neither surged nor sank, hanging suspended in midair as though suppressing the very flow of heaven and earth.
Farther off, Li Yuanjiao stood shrouded in dark mist, hand resting on the sword at his waist. Lingering quietly in the clouds, he had yet to strike, keeping his distance. Knowing the golden cymbals hovering over Yu Muxian possessed astonishing detection abilities, Li Yuanjiao did not take unnecessary risks, keeping his gaze fixed upon the six round shields.
"Senior Brother! Lend me a hand at once!" Yu Muxian shouted.
Li Xuanfeng, meanwhile, relied on the spirit aperture in his palm for a specialized tracking method. As long as he landed a single arrow from relatively close range to leave a mark in the target's magic power, he could sense him from afar just as he had done when hunting down E'wu.
Yu Muxian was deep and calculating; on their way here, he had not mentioned a word about his spirit artifacts to Tang Shedu. Tang Shedu was both surprised and delighted to see their foes, his expression turning savage as he swung his halberd around to strike at Xiao Yongling.
Seeing Tang Shedu turn, Miao Ye felt as if he had been granted a sudden reprieve. With great clans locked in combat, how could an outsider like him dare interfere? Having zero desire to join the fray and finally finding a chance to survive, Miao Ye abandoned the scene and fled at full speed.
Yu Muxian's golden cymbals spun overhead, yet as he blinked, he suddenly froze.
Xiao Yongling's Mount Yu Sword tore through the air, transforming into a brilliant streak of pale-blue light—a rare sword-flying art—aiming straight at Yu Muxian. Caught off balance, Yu Muxian dared not be careless and hastily formed another seal.
A golden lotus blossomed in midair, wrapping him within layers of petals. Choosing steadfast defense over counterattack, he sought only to hold out until Tang Shedu could relieve him.
Xiao Yongling's magic sword sheared through more than a dozen lotus petals in quick succession, but the strikes met an elusive, giving resistance, threatening to trap the blade. Lacking deep mastery of advanced swordplay, Xiao Yongling hastily wrenched the weapon free.
The Gold-Melting Cave technique Yu Muxian cultivated was an ancient art, excruciatingly painful to master. Very few ever succeeded, but once completed, it allowed one to nurture magical artifacts within the body just like spirit artifacts. Opening his mouth once more, he exhaled a string of golden-white specks of light.
Yu Muxian was himself an artifact refiner who favored matched sets. The specks expanded in midair, turning into diamond-shaped implements with sharp, slender tips and broader bases—resembling flying daggers—swarming freely through the air in a linked chain of nine.
He had practiced this technique countless times, far more fluently than his other spells. A blast of gray wind whipped out from his sleeves, swiftly coiling toward the flying sword.
The gray wind was designed specifically to disrupt another cultivator's artifacts, working in tandem with his immortal foundation to seize control of their essence. The pale-blue sword began to wobble, momentarily losing its bearing. Aided by the spell, the nine diamond shuttles struck out and forcefully drove the sword back.
Yet Tu Longjian's golden hammer had already reached his side, accompanied by dreadfully potent gray flames. Yu Muxian's six golden shields had no choice but to withstand the fire; even with an enemy closing in, he dared not recall them, simply pressing two fingers together and thrusting them toward the incoming hammer.
It looked almost like a suicidal move, causing Tu Longjian to raise an eyebrow. Yet the golden hammer was abruptly arrested in midair. Tu Longjian looked surprised, both hands lighting up with power.
Yu Muxian was cautious by nature and had never grown complacent despite carrying two spirit-grade artifacts. The prowess of the two men before him exceeded his expectations, forcing him to focus all his concentration. Still holding his two spirit artifacts in reserve, he opened his mouth once more.
He spat out a gleaming golden ring, no thicker than a little finger and about the size of a human head, covered in myriad seal characters. The artifact drifted upward into the sky without expanding or shrinking.
As soon as the golden ring appeared, the buzzing sound that had been ringing in Yu Muxian's ears abruptly vanished. Without any visible motion or flash of golden light, a dark-patterned spirit arrow was already trapped inside the ring.
The arrow struggled relentlessly like a living creature, clinking sharply against the metal. Yet the gap in power was too vast; unable to break free, it spun helplessly within the ring.
Seeing this artifact, everyone's expressions changed. Tu Longjian narrowed his eyes.
Tang Shedu was already enraged, abandoning his quarry to rush back to the rescue. Glaring fiercely, he roared, "Who dares harm my junior brother?!"
Yu Muxian breathed a sigh of relief. Among everyone present, Tang Shedu understood best how highly Master Yuanwu regarded this newly admitted youngest disciple. If anything happened to Yu Muxian here, Tang Shedu would likely be beaten half to death.
In truth, Yu Muxian had not wished to offend Li Xuanfeng. Li Xuanfeng enjoyed the deep trust of True Person Yuansu. If Yu Muxian were to break away from Yuanwu Peak in the future, he had to maintain good relations with the other Violet Palace masters of the sect, and he had even entertained thoughts of allying with Li Xuanfeng.
Ever since the attack began, Yu Muxian had maintained a firm grasp on the battle's logic, calmly analyzing each opponent's strength and motives. But this sudden turn of events left him utterly bewildered.
*If he could attack from so far away, why enter my patrol range at the very start... needlessly forfeiting the element of surprise?*
Revealing his two spirit artifacts now would surely frighten the attackers away, perhaps slaying only one of them at best—hardly an acceptable outcome.
*Hm? Another one?*
Though he harbored resentment toward Tang Shedu, Yu Muxian was extraordinarily sharp and meticulous. Slightly shifting his shoulders, he switched his hand seals, treating the lower crease of his pinky as West, the middle and upper creases as Xu and Hai, forming a drooping lotus mudra. An apricot-yellow glow surfaced in his eyes as he sat cross-legged in empty air.
Thoughts raced through his mind like sparks, leaving him baffled. Unable to pinpoint where the arrows were originating, he found himself sorely harassed. Tang Shedu's halberd was still some distance away, while the buzzing in his ears grew louder by the breath.
Yu Muxian hurriedly withdrew his fingers, stretched thin and struggling on both flanks. His shields were pushed back step by step as the gray fire drew nearer to his face, yet he still hesitated to deploy his trump cards.
Far in the distance, Li Yuanjiao watched the six round shields. They stirred an intense sense of familiarity. After a moment's recollection, he recalled a broken artifact lying forgotten in his storage bag.
That artifact had been obtained from a demonic cultivator years ago, bearing records indicating it was forged by Yu Muxian of Yuanwu Peak. It had proved useful several times before being shattered by Situ Mo's Golden Knife Art, rendered useless ever since.
Recognizing that these six shields shared the exact same structure and craftsmanship—likely an advanced iteration of the same concept—Li Yuanjiao made a prompt decision. Taking out the battered prototype from his storage bag, he handed it to Li Xuanfeng beside him and pointed:
"Uncle, you only need to strike one of the shields! Aim for the nodes at Wu-3 Jia-1 and Ding-3 Geng-1. Those two spots are where the gold essence and cold iron intersect. His current shields must be made of higher-grade materials, but the design principle won't differ by much!"
Li Xuanfeng nodded, took the artifact, and rode the wind into the distance. Li Yuanjiao, like a gray serpent lurking in the grass, remained motionless amidst the sea of clouds.
Reaching the maximum possible distance, Li Xuanfeng drew his bow once more, guided by the faint resonance in his palm.
Chapter 466