Chapter Sixty-One: Battle with the Celestial Spirit

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"Frost Lance Break!"

With a thunderous shout, the man in the violet robe thrust his spear, unleashing a burst of blue light from the tip. It cleaved through the air, whistling straight toward Lin Cheng.

Dragon in Motion!

Lin Cheng’s eyes flashed. He tapped his toe lightly, drifting backward, his body arching as he spun close to the ground, slipping behind the man in the violet robe and evading the strike. At the same time, he thrust his sword forward.

It was a simple, unadorned stab, but the sword’s tip gleamed with a chilling radiance. The man in the violet robe sensed the threat and swung his spear like a staff, smashing it toward Lin Cheng and forcing him to withdraw and parry.

Clang!

The spear crashed down upon the sword, and Lin Cheng was driven back over a dozen paces.

"Again!"

With a shout, Lin Cheng launched another offensive.

His figure surged forward like a dragon bursting from the sea, the Skyward Sword in hand hacking and slashing with bold, sweeping strokes, utterly devoid of technique.

Those watching from behind stared in shock—this didn’t look like a sword cultivator at all... more like a woodcutter!

The man in the violet robe counterattacked while cursing Lin Cheng as a madman. Though Lin Cheng appeared to wield his sword with no discernible form, the violet-robed man dared not take him lightly, for each strike was laced with a biting, bone-chilling sword aura.

He had no desire to be struck by that sword aura. He had never experienced its bite, nor did he wish to.

Seeing Lin Cheng, a mere eleventh-level True Qi Master, fighting on equal footing with a Heaven Spirit realm cultivator, the three leaders in the rear wiped cold sweat from their brows, which had appeared without their noticing.

Qiu Mo and Wang Yan had not died unjustly!

After a fierce exchange, though the man in the violet robe could still respond with ease, he failed to subdue Lin Cheng. The group behind him grew increasingly uneasy—the An family was surely already on their way to rescue Lin Cheng, and if they arrived, their situation would become even more dire.

"Honored one, shall we lend you a hand?" Qiu Batian, shrouded in black robes, spoke up.

The man in the violet robe scowled at the suggestion. His failure to end the fight quickly had clearly bruised his pride.

A dignified Heaven Spirit realm expert unable to defeat a mere brat—his patience snapped, and any restraint he had left faded.

"Thousand Shadows Kill!"

Blocking another strike from Lin Cheng, the violet-robed man was the first to unleash his technique. Forming a seal, he soared into the air and hurled his spear, which split into thousands, descending like a torrential rain of arrows upon Lin Cheng.

Lin Cheng’s heart leapt.

Such a terrifying attack made him feel the imminent threat of life and death—if he failed to block it, he would be skewered by a thousand spears, nailed to the earth.

He could hold back no longer.

Azure Dragon Surges from the Depths!

A dragon’s roar echoed to the heavens, and the scene was thrown into chaos.

Lin Cheng’s figure vanished, replaced by a white azure dragon roaring skyward, charging directly into the storm of spear shadows as the crowd watched, stunned.

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Countless spear shadows pierced the dragon’s body, showering sparks and ringing with the clash of metal, but not leaving a single mark upon its scales.

In an instant, the barrage was shattered by overwhelming force.

Below, the violet-robed man stared in disbelief. He knew only too well the might of his ultimate move—even disciples of the same Heaven Spirit rank within his sect would be forced to surrender under such an assault.

Yet today, a youth of the True Qi realm had shattered this proud technique head-on with brutal force.

He naturally assumed Lin Cheng had used some powerful secret art or spell, unaware that it was merely a sword technique.

The white dragon circled in the sky, then, with a thunderous roar, dove down upon the violet-robed man. The dragon’s tyrannical presence stirred up a storm of sand and dust, a tornado rising from the ground and enveloping the man at its center.

Buffeted by wind and sand, the onlookers could only shield their eyes.

Seeing the white dragon descending from above, the violet-robed man’s heart quailed, and a ruthless glint flickered in his half-closed eyes.

"Primordial Universe Cauldron!"

With a rapid hand seal, a yellow, three-legged cauldron expanded in the wind to shield him from above.

Remembering that the Primordial Universe Cauldron was a supreme spiritual artifact borrowed from his master, he felt a measure of reassurance.

As long as he withstood this blow, he was confident he could turn the tables on Lin Cheng.

He knew that the stronger the secret technique, the greater the cost afterward—after this, Lin Cheng would be left drained and vulnerable.

Hold!

He roared inwardly, his face contorted with strain.

Boom!

The azure dragon crashed into the cauldron, shaking the earth to its core.

Those below staggered, hastily channeling their energy to shield themselves.

After the impact, the cauldron remained unscathed, but the man behind it was hurled back dozens of yards, blood spurting from his lips.

He hadn’t been pierced through, but the tremendous force had still injured his organs.

The dragon dissipated in the air, revealing Lin Cheng, who landed with a backflip, steady upon the ground.

His heavy breaths and pale face betrayed the strain of the technique—even for him, it had not been easy.

Seeing that the Azure Dragon’s surge had failed to finish the violet-robed man, Lin Cheng narrowed his eyes at the three-legged cauldron above his foe.

Clearly, it was not the sword technique’s lack of power, but the Skyward Sword’s low grade that prevented it from breaking the spiritual artifact.

As Lin Cheng reappeared, the violet-robed man swallowed some pills and stepped forward.

"What’s this? Has your secret art run its course? Hahaha..." he sneered, then called out to the others, "What are you waiting for? Now is the moment—he’s at his weakest!"

The three leaders in black exchanged glances and, gritting their teeth, advanced to surround Lin Cheng.

They had chosen to risk everything—if they waited for the An family to arrive, they would have no chance to kill him.

"Lin Cheng..."

The two women behind saw Lin Cheng surrounded and tears shimmered in their eyes.

He flashed them a reassuring grin and said, "Don’t worry, these rotten potatoes and broken eggs can’t take my life."

Attack!

With a low command from the violet-robed man, a storm of spells descended upon Lin Cheng.

A dragon’s roar shattered the sky once more.

In the midst of the onslaught, Lin Cheng transformed into the white azure dragon again, surging through the encircling foes.

They had no time to react before it was over.

Thud!

Thud, thud!

One after another, bodies collapsed to the ground. Apart from the black-robed Earth Spirit realm cultivator and the violet-robed man, all lay dead and silent.

The Earth Spirit realm black-robed man looked down at his body—unharmed, but feeling his life force draining away at a terrifying rate.

Thud!

He dropped to his knees, head bowing, and in moments, his life was extinguished.

"You... why..."

"Impossible... you couldn’t possibly use another secret art..."

"Who are you, really?"

...

Watching the violet-robed man before him begin to tremble and babble, Lin Cheng grinned and replied, "Who said I was using a secret art? And you try to kill me—then ask who I am?"

"Spare me, I was only following orders... I beg you, spare my life..." The violet-robed man was finally afraid. Death hovered over him, and he had no doubt Lin Cheng would end his life in the next instant.

He tore off his violet robe, revealing a pallid, sinister face beneath.

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