Chapter 114: Breaking the Sacred Artifact

"Hmm..." Li Hong was slightly stunned, his expression showing a hint of bewilderment.

His train of thought was straightforward; he had never imagined that Mu Long possessed such formidable capabilities. Li Mu, however, was not like the people of the Evil Tribe; his mind was deep and calculating. He understood that since Mu Long had held the Great Wolf Plains for so long, he must possess many treasures and could easily adapt to the changing tides of battle.

"Don't be too hasty. I see it clearly; Mu Long's body must be struggling by now, likely suffering from the corrosion of the toxic mist. Instead of refining the poison, he is pushing himself in a desperate fight. Soon, his true energy will dissipate, and that will be the moment to strike," Li Mu whispered to the dejected Li Hong.

Protected beneath the light barrier, Mu Long, whose spiritual sense was focused entirely on his attacks, could not hear Li Mu's words. Li Mu, meanwhile, was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike; he had already consumed two or three medicinal pills in preparation.

As the mist dispersed, the air umbrella returned to Mu Long's hand. Li Ge stood tall, steadying himself. Though his body was riddled with small holes from the strikes of the air umbrella, he seemed not to feel the pain; instead, his fighting spirit only intensified. Watching the Golden Attendant, a look of longing flashed in his eyes.

"Awoo!"

A magnificent roar, seemingly echoing from the distant past, carried the faint aura of an ancient rhinoceros beast. Li Ge, head slightly bowed, had light dancing within his eyes. His body suddenly swelled to twice its size, and the horn on his head flared with brilliance, dazzling like a scorching sun.

Mu Long wore a look of confusion. It was clear that the technique Li Ge was about to unleash was incredibly powerful, and he could not afford to be careless. Li Mu, on the other hand, frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "Why use such a technique while the Golden Attendant is still active? It’s clearly not a combat-ready target." He did not realize that to Li Ge, the formidable Golden Attendant was like the perfect opponent in an arena—exactly what he desired, a challenge he wanted to break with brute force. Everything else had been cast to the back of his mind.

"Wen Meng Evil God, grant me strength! Impact!"

Li Ge shouted, lunging forward. His body became like a mountain boulder flying at high speed, leaving only a shadow in his wake. The wind roared as it was pushed aside, dust kicked up into the air, and the surging pressure was like a tidal wave, invincible and unstoppable.

Boom!

Li Ge’s solid frame collided directly with the Golden Attendant!

Mu Long, watching with focused vigilance, wore an expression of disbelief. He could hardly believe his eyes: such a powerful technique from Li Ge was not directed at him, but at the Golden Attendant, which had no capacity to fight back.

"Such a useless act; only a fool would do this," Mu Long sneered. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, a third-grade cyan hammer suddenly appeared before him. It shimmered with green light and, accompanied by the whistling sound of wind, swung fiercely toward Li Ge’s face.

Li Hong’s expression tightened. "My Master!"

But Li Mu had been waiting for this exact moment. As Li Ge struck, he followed suit, though his speed appeared significantly slower.

Boom!

While his movement was slow, his Soul-Piercing Spear was fast. Having consumed the Spirit-Condensing Pill, he had grown increasingly proficient with the spear, making his strikes quick and accurate. A streak of black light erupted from the artifact, heading straight for Mu Long. The sharp black radiance was so concentrated that even before it touched its target, a biting, painful chill preceded it.

Mu Long was not slow, though he was uncertain if his treasure robes could withstand the incoming spear. He diverted the hammer mid-air, intercepting Li Mu’s Soul-Piercing Spear just as Li Ge collided with the Golden Attendant. Various colors flashed, light splashed everywhere, and for a moment, nothing could be seen.

As the light faded, the outcome became clear.

The Golden Attendant had vanished, dissipated by Li Ge’s impact. Li Ge himself was wounded, blood flowing from his mouth down his body, yet despite the pain, he wore an excited grin. The cyan hammer had been shattered by the black light of the Soul-Piercing Spear, its internal formations destroyed, rendering it useless. Mu Long, caught off guard, found that his third-grade treasure robes could not block the power of the spear; even though he dodged quickly, he was still struck.

"Very good."

Mu Long’s body swayed as he retreated over a hundred paces, a glint in his eyes. "I never thought I would be injured. I thought a fool was just a fool, but you actually know how to launch a sneak attack. Very good."

As his words fell, his body wavered slightly. Already poisoned, he was now wounded as well, and his condition was rapidly deteriorating.

"Sneak attack? What does that mean?" Li Ge looked blank.

Li Hong walked over, checking Li Ge’s body before bowing to Li Mu. "I was a bit tongue-tied earlier and spoke out of turn. I hope the master will forgive me."

Li Mu’s expression remained unchanged as he shook his head. "It is too early for such talk. Be careful."

Seizing the advantage, he launched his next attack. Li Mu watched Mu Long, leaped forward slightly, and unleashed the Soul-Piercing Spear for the second time.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One streak of black light, then two, then three—they whistled through the air in quick succession.

The three streaks of black light converged, each more powerful than the last. Through much practice, Li Mu had become increasingly skilled with the Soul-Piercing Spear.

Mu Long let out a soft grunt and raised his air umbrella. He dared not expend all his true energy, lest he suffer a total collapse, as there was little point in wasting such reserves.

Hundreds of water vortices instantly merged into one massive whirlpool, carrying a violent force as it rushed to meet the three streaks of black light, acting like a dark abyss attempting to swallow everything.

The first streak forced its way in, exploding, and the whirlpool diminished slightly. The second streak forced its way in, the whirlpool diminished again, its speed slowing significantly. The third streak, carrying even greater power, plunged directly into the heart of the vortex.

The simultaneous strike of three streaks, like a tumultuous tide, proved too much for the air umbrella’s whirlpool to contain. It burst with a deafening crash.

The whirlpool stopped spinning, a hole was punched through it, and the air umbrella was shattered by the Soul-Piercing Spear. The soul sealed within the spear belonged to a Core-Formation cultivator, possessing the power of a top-tier fourth-grade treasure. Though Li Mu could not normally wield its full potential, the effect of the medicinal pills allowed him to unleash its superior power. The three streaks of black light were too much for the mid-tier fourth-grade air umbrella to withstand, and it was indeed pierced by Li Mu.

Mu Long felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. Having occupied the Great Wolf Plains for so long, he had never been forced into such a position, nor had he ever lost his treasures. Yet, Li Mu had destroyed three of his artifacts: his third-grade robes, his third-grade cyan hammer, and his fourth-grade air umbrella.

How could such a Soul-Piercing Spear, which felt so insignificant in the hands of someone like Ru Xiucheng, be so terrifying in Li Mu's hands? And yet, Li Mu only possessed the cultivation of the Spirit-Building stage. How was this possible?

"Who on earth are you? Which sect do you belong to, and what is your purpose in the Great Wolf Plains? You killed my disciple, and that wasn't enough? Why must you push me to the brink and try to kill me too?" Mu Long roared. He felt deep down that this Spirit-Building cultivator must be an important disciple from the sect of some powerful Core-Formation master, currently out traveling the Great Wolf Plains.

"I am just me, Li Mu. I belong to no sect." Li Mu’s face remained devoid of emotion as he pointed his Soul-Piercing Spear steadily at Mu Long. "As for you, there is only the fight."