Chapter 152: Two Against One, Killing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator

Chapter 152: Two Against One, Killing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator

"What's going on? Why is the defensive capability of this array so strong?"

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked for a while, perplexed by the unexpected resilience of the array.

In their opinion, it was just the cave mansion of a Qi Refining cultivator; how powerful could its array be?

They thought they could easily break through with brute force.

However, after a series of attacks that created quite a stir, they had made no progress at all.

"That Cen Xianzi didn't lie to us after all."

Chu Ning, who was inside the array, felt relieved as he sensed that the array's defense remained intact.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he noticed something.

"Are they leaving?"

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators seemed to have given up on directly breaking through his cave mansion.

After exchanging a glance, the square-faced cultivator signaled, and the other gray-robed cultivator withdrew his attack.

It seemed like they were about to leave.

Chu Ning didn't know if they were planning to call for help or had some other motive.

However, he couldn't allow them to leave at this point.

Now that his cave mansion had been exposed, and they thought he had obtained something valuable, he would likely never have peace if he let them go.

"Seniors, please hold on a moment. I will come out to meet you."

Chu Ning's voice suddenly rang out, stopping the gray-robed cultivator who was about to leave.

The square-faced cultivator also ceased his attacks, curious about Chu Ning's intentions.

Only then did Chu Ning fly out of his cave mansion.

Upon seeing Chu Ning, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators looked at him with a mixture of disdain and triumph in their eyes.

Chu Ning cupped his fists politely. "Greetings, Seniors. May I inquire about your esteemed names and the reason for pursuing that person to Rainbow Island?"

"I am Peng Dajun from Shadow Moon Island, and this is He Mingjin from Green Wave Island. As for why we were chasing him, that's none of your concern." The square-faced cultivator introduced them indifferently, while He Mingjin glared at Chu Ning with hostility.

"You're quite bold, junior! We called out to you for so long, yet you didn't come out," He Mingjin said, his eyes narrowing.

Chu Ning remained silent, a puzzled expression on his face. "My apologies, Seniors. I participated in the Thousand Islands Trial, but I don't recall seeing either of you there."

During the Thousand Islands Trial, Chu Ning had paid attention to most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators present. Shadow Moon Island and Green Wave Island were both ranked in the top ten, and he had specifically taken note of their representatives.

Peng Dajun from Shadow Moon Island waved his hand dismissively. "We arrived later, so it's not surprising that you didn't see us."

He seemed to have lost patience and questioned Chu Ning imperiously, "Junior, what's your name? Did you see that man take out anything earlier?"

"Are you referring to this, Senior?" Chu Ning took a step forward as he spoke, and in the next moment, he flicked his wrist, sending an object flying toward Peng Dajun.

Peng Dajun's eyes lit up with anticipation, but his expression changed drastically when he saw what was flying toward him.

A streak of pitch-black light was speeding toward him, followed closely by a ball of fire.

The black light didn't emanate a powerful aura, but Peng Dajun sensed an underlying danger from it.

His face twisted with alarm, and he immediately activated a defensive barrier in front of him.

At the same time, He Mingjin shouted angrily, "How audacious!"

He waved his hand, and four or five spells rushed toward Chu Ning.

However, layers of light shields suddenly appeared around Chu Ning, blocking the incoming spells.

Just then, He Mingjin heard a terrified cry from his companion.

"No!!!"

The defensive barrier that Peng Dajun had hastily erected was no match for the black light. It trembled for a moment before shattering completely.

The black light struck his protective barrier of spiritual energy, causing it to dissipate instantly.

The small black dagger pierced his body, and an incredibly powerful corrosive force invaded his being.

Peng Dajun used all his might to resist the destructive power of the black light, but just then, the ball of fire reached him.

Initially, he didn't pay much attention to it.

Even though he was severely injured, a single fireball spell couldn't pose a threat to him.

But when the fireball hit him, the raging flames consumed his entire body, and he let out a horrified scream.

Accompanying his scream, Peng Dajun's body was instantly incinerated by the intense flames, leaving only a few items on the ground.

"How is this possible?" He Mingjin stared at the scene, his eyes wide with shock.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages had been obliterated by a single attack from a Qi Refining cultivator at the eighth layer.

He Mingjin's heart raced as he snapped back to his senses.

He quickly moved to the side, and just as he did, several flames shot through the space he had just occupied.

He Mingjin's eyes widened as he saw Chu Ning holding a long spear that was enveloped in flames.

Chu Ning brandished the spear, sending waves of fire toward him.

Then, Chu Ning transformed into a red streak of light and shot toward He Mingjin.

"A top-grade spiritual weapon?"

"Hmph!" He Mingjin snorted derisively. "The power of a top-grade spiritual weapon depends on the user."

Even as he thought this, he didn't let down his guard.

A protective shield appeared around him, and he released his spiritual sense, enveloping Chu Ning.

He Mingjin admitted that both he and Peng Dajun had been careless.

They hadn't expected Chu Ning to dare to launch a sneak attack, and they certainly hadn't anticipated the sheer destructive power of his spiritual weapon.

At this moment, he wanted to show Chu Ning why Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators were on completely different levels.

All a Foundation Establishment cultivator had to do was suppress their opponent's attacks with their spiritual sense, and no matter how many tricks a Qi Refining cultivator had up their sleeve, they wouldn't be able to use them.

A ruthless glint flashed in He Mingjin's eyes as he unleashed his spiritual sense, bearing down on Chu Ning in the air.

"Ah!"

But the next moment, He Mingjin felt a sudden, piercing pain in his head as if it was about to explode.

"Backlash... how is that possible?"

He Mingjin's eyes widened in shock as he realized what had happened.

And in the next instant, his face turned deathly pale.

Because at the same time, Chu Ning, enveloped in raging flames, flew towards him.

And due to the immense backlash from his spiritual attack, he couldn't even maintain his protective shield.

"No!"

He Mingjin cried out in horror, just like the square-faced cultivator, Peng Dajun, had moments earlier.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a defensive artifact.

But it was all too late.

Before he could activate it, Chu Ning was upon him!

The Fire-Phoenix Feather Spear, wreathed in scarlet flames, pierced straight through his chest.

"You can go die too!"

Realizing that he couldn't withstand the destructive force of this attack, the gray-robed cultivator let out a desperate cry and unleashed a brilliant golden light with all his might, even as his life ebbed away.

At such close range, even Chu Ning couldn't easily dodge the attack.

However, his defense was just as swift.

He channeled his spiritual power into the Earth Spirit Bracelet, and instantly, a thick, earthy-yellow shield enveloped him.

The golden light struck the yellow shield.

The yellow shield shattered.

But at the same time, another shield, this one white and water-attributed, appeared around Chu Ning.

The Primordial Water Spirit Talisman!

After deciphering this low-grade superior talisman, Chu Ning could now create his own talismans and seamlessly integrate them into his talisman ring for instant casting without having to physically retrieve them.

The golden light, already weakened by the Earth Spirit Bracelet, dissipated upon striking the white shield.

Witnessing this, the gray-robed cultivator named He Mingjin could only stare with a mix of disbelief and resentment.

But he had no more time to think.

The Fire-Phoenix Feather Spear, glowing with scarlet light, tore through his body.

Slowly, the Foundation Establishment cultivator's body disintegrated into nothingness amidst the flames.

The combination of a top-grade spiritual weapon and Chu Ning's Fire-attributed spirit body was simply too powerful for a Foundation Establishment cultivator's body to withstand.

Within a few exchanges, Chu Ning had killed two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Only then did Chu Ning disperse the spiritual power around him and lightly touch his head.

"The results of this sparring seem pretty good!"

As he spoke, he used his beast-controlling technique to collect the items that the two cultivators had dropped.

Then, he sent a fireball towards the first Foundation Establishment cultivator he had encountered, the one who had entered the array.

Since Peng Dajun and He Mingjin had already searched that cultivator, there was nothing left on his body.

Chu Ning was about to turn around and return to his cave abode when he suddenly paused.

"Hmm?"

He had noticed something where the cultivator's body had turned to ashes.

Curious, Chu Ning walked over and picked it up.

It turned out to be a piece of beast hide of unknown origin.

Somehow, the cultivator had hidden it so well that even the two Foundation Establishment cultivators hadn't found it during their search.

Chu Ning unfurled the beast hide and discovered a partial map hidden within.

From the shapes on the map, it seemed to be the middle portion, and Chu Ning couldn't make heads or tails of it.

So, he took the map, along with the other items from the three cultivators, back to his cave abode.

Back in the stone chamber of his cave abode, Chu Ning sat in the spot with the best view, his eyes fixed on the distant lake, unblinking.

Only when darkness fully enveloped the sky did he finally relax, certain that no one else would show up.

He wasn't worried about their battle being discovered by others on the island.

After all, this island was located at the very edge of the Rainbow Island group, and with Jiang Hongguang's orders, there shouldn't be any cultivators within dozens of li of this place.

Moreover, the skirmish had been brief, and without any high-level cultivators on the island, it was unlikely that anyone would have noticed.

What concerned Chu Ning was whether there would be more cultivators following the first three.

Thankfully, an hour passed without any sign of others, much to his relief.

Finally, Chu Ning picked up the artifacts and storage bags of the three cultivators he had killed and began inspecting them.

This was his first time killing Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he had taken down three at once.

He was curious to see what treasures they carried.

First, Chu Ning examined the artifacts that the two cultivators had used earlier.

Although the gray-robed cultivator, He Mingjin, had ultimately failed to withstand the might of Chu Ning's Fire-Phoenix Feather Spear, his main mistake had been attempting to attack Chu Ning's spiritual sense.

And for that, Chu Ning had retaliated with the Soul-Suppressing Art.

Otherwise, with the tricks up a Foundation Establishment cultivator's sleeve, it might not have been so easy to defeat him.

Chu Ning recalled the defensive shield He Mingjin had initially conjured, which hadn't seemed weak at all.

After killing He Mingjin, Chu Ning had found a jade belt on his body, likely a defensive artifact.

Infusing it with his spiritual power, Chu Ning tested its capabilities.

"A water-attributed defensive artifact, not quite top-grade, but its defensive capabilities are almost on par with a top-grade artifact.

In terms of power, it should be similar to the Earth Spirit Bracelet."

However, unlike the Earth Spirit Bracelet, which required an Earth Spirit Crystal to function, this jade belt didn't need any such component, indicating that it was of a higher grade.

At this moment, Chu Ning's gaze fell upon a bronze mirror-like artifact that belonged to the square-faced cultivator, He Dajun.

Although the defensive shield created by this cultivator was easily pierced by the black dagger, it had noticeably weakened the dagger's power, or else He Dajun wouldn't have been able to block it.

If not for Chu Ning's quick follow-up with a tenfold fireball created using the Fiery Flame Incantation, his opponent might not have died so quickly.

"A top-grade spiritual artifact!"

Chu Ning's eyes lit up with surprise as he held the small mirror, which turned out to be an authentic top-grade spiritual artifact.

Without hesitation, he infused spiritual power into the bronze mirror.

Instantly, a layer of white light shield emerged and enveloped him within its protective barrier.

However, instead of joy, a puzzled expression appeared on Chu Ning's face.

The white light shield didn't seem to offer much more defense compared to the jade belt he had tested earlier.

Logically, as a top-grade spiritual artifact, its power should be significantly stronger.

Chu Ning continued to channel spiritual power into it, searching for any other hidden abilities.

But even after prolonged experimentation, he didn't find anything else.

At this point, Chu Ning walked over to the room where Ling Xiaobai, his spirit beast, resided.

"Little White, shoot a spell at me!" Chu Ning requested, standing within the protective shield.

Understanding that Chu Ning wanted to test the shield's strength, Ling Xiaobai complied without question. She opened her mouth and sprayed a frost arrow toward Chu Ning.

Half a year had passed, and Ling Xiaobai's cultivation had evidently improved. The frost arrow was noticeably thicker than before, with hints of blue within the white.

The frost arrow struck the white light shield, causing it to dent inward. It seemed like it would penetrate the shield completely.

But the next moment, the frost arrow rebounded and shot back toward Ling Xiaobai, faster than when it had come.

Moreover, the rebounded arrow was even thicker than before.

"Meow!"

Realizing something was amiss, Ling Xiaobai cried out in surprise and quickly jumped away.

The frost arrow hit the ground, drilling a hole and disappearing underground.

Ignoring Ling Xiaobai's aggrieved meow, Chu Ning's eyes lit up as he witnessed this scene.

He finally understood why the mirror was considered a top-grade spiritual artifact.

Damage reflection!

While the mirror's shield didn't seem exceptionally strong defensively, it was incredibly resilient.

It could reflect an opponent's spell back at them, and the rebounded spell seemed even more powerful and faster than when it was initially cast.

"What a great item!" Chu Ning was thrilled with his discovery.

He had figured out how to use the mirror effectively.

Apparently, unless the spell was strong enough to directly penetrate the defense of a top-grade spiritual artifact, the mirror's shield could reflect the spell, targeting the caster.

The reason it couldn't withstand the black dagger's strike wasn't due to inadequate defensive capabilities but rather the exceptional power of the ancient, incomplete treasure.

To be honest, after experiencing the might of the Fire-Phoenix Feather Spear, Chu Ning had been longing to obtain a top-grade defensive artifact.

There was a significant gap between the two.

His previous Earth Spirit Bracelet was already close to 60% as powerful as a top-grade spiritual artifact.

However, its defensive capability was no longer sufficient, as evidenced by his inability to block the dying strike from the gray-robed cultivator, He Mingjin.

If not for Chu Ning's Primordial Water Spirit Talisman, he would have had to take the hit with his body.

Although his toughened body might not have sustained any damage, Chu Ning always preferred to err on the side of caution.

Now, having acquired two defensive artifacts, one of them top-grade, he was elated.

Returning to the previous cave chamber, Chu Ning resumed inspecting the belongings of the three cultivators.

He Mingjin and Peng Dajun's storage bags contained quite a few items, including high-grade pills, talismans, spirit herbs, cultivation materials, and more. Interestingly, Peng Dajun seemed to be a pill refiner, as his bag held a large quantity of pill-refining materials.

There was also a jade slip containing basic pill-refining techniques and numerous organized pill formulas.

He Mingjin's storage bag had fewer materials but held a substantial number of mid-grade spirit stones.

To Chu Ning's surprise, it also contained several jade slips with recorded information.

This cultivator seemed to have a penchant for collecting, organizing, and recording information.

One jade slip detailed ancient rumors about the Thousand Lakes and Islands.

Another jade slip described the common magical beasts found in the area.

There was even a jade slip with information about rare and obscure spirit herbs and plants, some of which Chu Ning hadn't seen before, even in the Qingxi Sect.

Additionally, there were jade slips containing cultivation techniques and spells, mostly metal-attributed ones, which weren't very useful to Chu Ning.

However, one jade slip contained spells of other attributes, which piqued his interest. Chu Ning kept this jade slip aside for later study.

Then, Chu Ning turned his attention to the first cultivator he had encountered, the one who died within his array—the Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As he emptied the cultivator's storage bag, one particular item immediately caught his attention.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end