Two at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and two at the eighth one had to admit, Chang Tianhua was giving Song Changsheng quite a bit of credit. But to Song Changsheng, this level of strength was still hardly worth mentioning.
"You people from the Earthfire Sect specialize in fire-type spells, right? Perfect my water spells aren't bad either. Let's see just how much you're worth today!"
With a shout, Song Changsheng swiftly formed a series of hand seals. Water-elemental spiritual energy surged around him, and before long, two vividly lifelike water dragons appeared, exuding a terrifying aura.
This was a level of mastery one could only reach after fully perfecting the Water and Fire Control Art: Elemental Manifestation. Though the two water dragons were formed purely from water spiritual energy, they were equivalent in combat power to mid- to high-grade Tier-1 spirit beasts.
"Got quite the mouth on you, kid." A cultivator with a face full of fiery boils sneered and waved his hand, summoning a three-foot-long sword that shot toward Song Changsheng.
"Be careful!" Song Changhu called out instinctively.
But Song Changsheng remained composed. He calmly said, "Stay back from the battlefield and protect yourselves."
As he spoke, he flicked his hand. A stream of water shot out, instantly reversing the flying sword's trajectory.
"Command!" With a fierce double-handed gesture, the two water dragons beside him roared and pounced toward the two seventh-level cultivators.
Meanwhile, Song Changsheng himself took on the two at the eighth level. He curled his hands into claws and dozens of water spheres condensed behind him. With a slight movement of his mind, they shot forward, blanketing the two men.
"Block it together!" the Earthfire Sect disciples exclaimed in panic, hastily erecting a joint spiritual shield.
But just before the water spheres struck, Song Changsheng clenched his fist. All the spheres exploded into countless fine droplets.
The barrage of water droplets, seemingly harmless, struck the shield like a storm of needles. In mere moments, the barrier was riddled with holes like a sieve.
The two cultivators behind the shield screamed in agony, their bodies peppered with tiny wounds as they collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated.
Elsewhere, the two seventh-level disciples were still struggling against the water dragons. With a mere thought, Song Changsheng caused the dragons to suddenly swell in size, catching the two men off guard and engulfing them.
As the world spun and blurred around them, the two were crushed into bone-powdering defeat, collapsing into a state worse than death.
All of this, and Song Changsheng hadn't even taken a single step.
The Earthfire Sect disciples were shaken to the core, but so too were the Song clan members nearby. These were four late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators and yet they'd been wiped out effortlessly?
"Useless trash!" Chang Tianhua cursed silently. Narrowing his eyes at Song Changsheng, a surge of murderous intent welled up in his heart. Geniuses like this must be nipped in the bud.
The Song clan had once produced Song Xianming, who had dominated Lingzhou for decades. They couldn't allow another like him to rise.
Clap, clap, clap.
Chang Tianhua clapped slowly and smiled with a twisted curve on his lips. "Marvelous. Truly marvelous. As expected of the Song clan's top prodigy you do have some skill. Why don't you come and try me, huh?"
He beckoned provocatively at Song Changsheng, clearly trying to goad him.
"And what the hell do you think you are?" Song Changsheng replied coldly, refusing to take the bait. Though he didn't fear Chang Tianhua, the enemy had superior numbers. He had to conserve his spiritual energy and wait for reinforcements.
"Heh, scared already? Like grandfather, like grandson. That old coward Song Xianming's been hiding like a turtle for years. And you, his precious grandson look like you inherited the shell too."
Chang Tianhua was pushing his luck, trying every trick to enrage Song Changsheng. He was determined to provoke him into striking first only then could he find an excuse to cripple him!
Song Changsheng's sword-like brows shot up, his eyes locked firmly on Chang Tianhua. His voice was cold and dangerous: "Are you looking to die?"
"Changsheng, calm down!" a Song clansman warned. "He's already at the ninth level of Qi Refinement and has many magic tools on him. You're not his match he's provoking you on purpose!"
Just then, Song Changxiu arrived as well. Seeing Song Changsheng on the verge of erupting, she mustered her courage and tried to stop him.
But Song Changsheng ignored her words. His gaze locked onto Chang Tianhua, eyes brimming with chilling killing intent. Pointing directly at him, he said coldly, "As you wish get over here, and I'll take your head."
"Hah, what a joke!" Chang Tianhua sneered. With a sharp flick of the folding fan in his hand, a flurry of hair-thin needles shot toward Song Changsheng.
The needles glinted an eerie blue under the dazzling sunlight laced with deadly poison. It was obvious Chang Tianhua intended to kill with a single strike.
"Watch out! Hidden weapon!" Song Changxiu cried out in alarm.
But Song Changsheng reacted even faster than her warning. With a sweep of his hand, he summoned a treasure gourd. It spun rapidly in front of him, instantly expanding several dozen times and deflecting every single poisoned needle.
"Whoosh!"
At the same moment, Chang Tianhua suddenly lunged forward. Somehow, his folding fan had already been replaced with a hooked blade, which came crashing toward Song Changsheng's head.
"Back off!"
Song Changsheng roared and drove the now-enlarged treasure gourd to collide with the blade. A wave of blistering heat exploded outward, flattening a swath of grass and trees around them.
Despite the shockwave, the two combatants remained locked in a fierce battle, their magical weapons clashing again and again.
Even though Song Changsheng was one cultivation level lower and had expended a good amount of spiritual energy earlier, his spiritual power had been refined greatly reducing consumption. Now, trading blows posed no burden for him.
It was Chang Tianhua who was gradually losing ground. A flicker of rage passed through his eyes as he summoned two more magical items a precious orb and a glazed mirror.
With three artifacts striking at once, the treasure gourd was briefly forced back. As Song Changxiu and the others watched anxiously, Song Changsheng's expression remained calm and steady.
He suddenly said to Chang Tianhua, "I'm a decent artifact refiner. But do you know why I only use one weapon?"
Instinctively, Chang Tianhua asked, "Why?"
"Go think about it on your way to the underworld."
As Song Changsheng's hand seals rapidly changed, the treasure gourd unleashed a massive water dragon.
The dragon swept forward in an instant, crushing all three of Chang Tianhua's magical items. Caught completely off guard, Chang Tianhua was bound tightly by the surging water dragon before he could react.
"Young master!" the Earthfire Sect disciples shouted in panic and immediately tried to charge in.
"Take one more step and he dies!" Song Changsheng growled, controlling the water dragon to open its massive maw. At his command, it could bite Chang Tianhua's head clean off.
The Earthfire Sect disciples froze on the spot, terrified of any harm befalling their young master.
The Song clan members, including Song Changxiu, stood dumbfounded. No one had expected that Song Changsheng would capture the Earthfire Sect's young master so easily.
Just as the Earthfire Sect hesitated, fearing to act recklessly, an aged voice rang out from not far away:
"Young friend, let our sect's young master go. I will personally guarantee your safe departure."
Song Changsheng looked in the direction of the voice. At some point, an old man in a black robe had appeared there.
"Foundation Establishment stage cultivator." Song Changsheng's expression hardened. Without hesitation, he clamped his hand around Chang Tianhua's neck.
Though now a prisoner, Chang Tianhua revealed a smug, fearless grin. With mockery in his voice, he said, "You're dead this time."
Slap!
Song Changsheng gave him a hard, ringing slap across the face.
The strike stunned not only Chang Tianhua but everyone present both the Song clan and the Earthfire Sect disciples.
"He dared to do that at a time like this? Is he not afraid of death?"
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