Volume Two: The Weapon Codex Chapter 125: Heroes Struggle to Find Victory

The three fierce beasts—Fire Phoenix, Fire Qilin, and Little Jin—surrounded the Suanni, stirring the scarce spiritual energy within the tower into a violent tremor. Nearby martial artists abruptly halted their movements, turning their gaze toward the commotion.

Yang Xiu, proud and vain, held considerable renown in this region. Being blocked by several juniors bruised his ego. Waving his hand, he gathered the Nine Suns Qi-Absorbing Needles into a cluster and thrust them toward Liu Xiaoyi.

The thrust carried overwhelming force over a great distance. Liu Xiaoyi felt the irresistible sharpness approaching—what to do?

Forming a hand seal with one hand, he unleashed the Soul-Guiding Divine Light within the Green Radiance Sword, creating a thin protective barrier. The Zhenyuan Mountain rose three zhang high before him, blocking the attack. True energy and magic surged through his meridians, the sting all over his body causing him to furrow his brow tightly and grit his teeth against the pain.

The Qi-Absorbing Needles struck the barrier, piercing through it almost instantly and colliding with the Zhenyuan Mountain.

Sparks flew in all directions. Liu Xiaoyi’s limbs braced against the ground as he slid back half a zhang. His internal organs churned violently under the assault of qi and blood, but fortunately, the Soul-Guiding Divine Light held the needles back. The surrounding energy, locked by the Lin incantation, rapidly dissipated the needles’ momentum.

“Blocked again?” Yang Xiu growled in frustration, raising his palm to strike the needles. Just as he moved, a ripping sound came from behind him. Turning around, he saw the Suanni’s shadow shatter, and the battle flag torn. A golden-eyed tiger with hanging pupils opened its mouth wide, devouring all the shattered shadow fragments.

The other two fire beasts unleashed roaring flames from above, spewing them toward Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu was defeated! With the Suanni battle flag destroyed, the Nine Suns Qi-Absorbing Needles failed to withstand the overwhelming flames. He was scorched and disheveled in an instant.

“Where are you going? What kind of justice is it to bully the weak?” An iron spear appeared midair. Yang Xiu hastily defended with the needles, but the impact scorched his back again, charring his clothes.

“Han Ting! You dare strike when I’m down?” Yang Xiu recognized the man—a master at the eleventh level of the Earth Soul realm. “Isn’t this beneath your status?”

Han Ting sneered, “You bully these juniors and still can’t subdue them, only to flee in disgrace. Even a fake Suanni meets its end!”

“True enough. The Suanni battle flag is gone. Such a rare opportunity—no one would want to miss it,” another voice said. Yang Xiu’s heart sank. It was Duan Tong, holding the Falling Wild Goose Spear. His sleeves were torn, showing he had fought hard but had made his way here nonetheless.

“Duan Tong, a man of righteousness, joins in too!”

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“Such a scene, how could I, Lord Wang, be absent? Hand over the Qi-Absorbing Needles now, and I might spare your miserable life!”

Wang Zhen descended from somewhere, standing beside Liu Xiaoyi, raising a hand to help him up.

The tide turned instantly. Yang Xiu was trapped front and back by the three, unable to advance or retreat.

Seizing the moment, Liu Xiaoyi quickly sat cross-legged to restore his vitality. The next battle was uncertain. Though he had met Wang Zhen before at the Qi residence, their difference in cultivation levels was evident. If they harbored ill intentions, attacking him was not impossible.

If not for the skills he displayed at the Qi residence, Wang Zhen might have tried to ambush him. But seeing Yang Xiu’s desperate efforts to kill Liu Xiaoyi, Wang Zhen’s murderous intent switched to Yang Xiu.

Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could not be missed. Killing Yang Xiu would make Wang Zhen famous throughout the Great Wilderness!

The three moved forward in tacit agreement. Yang Xiu, expressionless, draped the tattered Suanni battle flag over his shoulders. “You forced my hand. All of you will die with me!”

With a roar, Yang Xiu’s clothes tore. Brown, needle-like hair sprouted from his body. He grew taller, crawling on all fours. His head shook and swelled, his mouth sprouting two rows of sharp fangs. He transformed into a flesh-and-blood Suanni, biting down on the Nine Suns Qi-Absorbing Needles.

Blood energy surged from the needles, empowering Yang Xiu. The three knew that if they let him gather strength, disaster would follow. Each launched their attack on him.

This scene was witnessed by Qi Ye, who had just entered the Two Poles Tower. His gaze shifted from Yang Xiu to Liu Xiaoyi, filled with astonishment.

“This young man’s body is so complex, harboring so many different powers simultaneously without bursting. I’d love to ask how he manages this.” As Qi Ye was lost in thought, the ground beneath him loosened. Suddenly, his feet sank. Half his body was pulled into the earth.

Shangguan Baozi appeared, rubbing his waist as he took shape. He patted Qi Ye’s head, “Trying to sneak an attack, big brother! Caught you red-handed!”

“Misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!” Qi Ye hurriedly explained, feigning confusion. His hands were trapped by the earth, unable to move. “I was just passing by, no other intent.”

“You’re this close and still say it’s a misunderstanding? Time to fight!” Shangguan Baozi said, reaching to seize his head, but Li Jue quickly stopped him.

Noticing Qi Ye’s features bore seven or eight parts resemblance to the city lord, Li Jue was certain.

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“Young Master Qi, you don’t seem as useless as rumors say. Your cultivation in Daoism is higher than ours. Where did you learn from?”

Upon hearing Li Jue uncover his secret, Qi Ye stopped hiding. He gently pulled his hands out and stood from the soil. “You have a keen eye, Dao friend. Please keep this quiet.”

Before he could finish, Cai Wu shouted from afar, “Young Master Qi, with such skill, why hide at the back? I’m Cai Wu, and this is my big brother…”

The shout echoed clearly throughout half the tower. Even Yang Xiu hesitated momentarily. The sharp-eyed had already set their sights on the strange little group in the corner.

“Fool! They’re all coming. Can you really fight them?” Li Jue cursed.

Cai Wu ignored him, extending both hands to shake Qi Ye’s. “Lord Young Master, a pleasure. My big brother is still recovering his energy but will escort you to the tower’s peak to seize the Heavenly Lantern!”

Qi Ye thought to himself, this giant must be a simpleton. Suddenly, an explosion sounded behind Cai Wu. Qi Ye instinctively opened a formation to shield the group. Now, his identity was fully exposed.

The lord’s young master of the city, it seemed, was indeed a skilled cultivator. He surely didn’t need to step foot outside the Wangtian Court for his fame to spread far and wide.

Yang Xiu, transformed into the Suanni, was pressed by the three attackers. But two fists could not match four hands. Ultimately, he was struck down. His flesh and blood burst into a misty rain, scattering everywhere.

Liu Xiaoyi sat cross-legged, seemingly unaware of the outside chaos. He was exerting all his strength to channel true energy, impacting his dantian.

Humans are born with only a small space in their dantian, unable to condense too much true energy. Through continuous postnatal cultivation, the dantian can gradually expand, step by step strengthening the self.

Under the heavy pressure, the long-stagnant realm began to loosen. The black and white qi flows of the Two Poles Tower converged toward Liu Xiaoyi’s direction.