Chapter 45: First Collision of the Azure Light Ring and the Nine Yin Arrow

Jing Wuming!

Tie Lanshan?

That guy isn't dead yet?

Wang Ping's spiritual power spread out; upstream of the Canglan River, a deep azure light chased a dark green light.

The one emitting the dark green light was Tie Lanshan, and the one emitting the deep azure light was Jing Wuming.

Most wood-system cultivators emit a green light; only a few with special physiques or special cultivation methods emit a dark green light.

Tie Lanshan must be one of those.

As for Jing Wuming's deep azure light, that is a characteristic of water-system techniques.

Wang Ping stood at the bow, guarding his gaze on the two lights drawing nearer.

This night had no moon; the river surface was pitch black, but most cultivators can see in the dark, and with spiritual probing they can see as clearly as daylight even in the blackest night.

Wang Ping's fishing boat was inconspicuous on the dark river, yet those two lights flew toward it.

Soon they spotted Wang Ping.

"Stop that cultivator ahead, and I will richly reward you!"

Jing Wuming's arrogant voice came over, his tone carrying an irresistible command.

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow, gave a silent smile on the dark river, and quietly urged his spiritual power to steer the boat aside.

Tie Lanshan was delighted, swooshing past above the boat, and thanked: "Thank you, fellow cultivator, for making way!"

Jing Wuming's formerly cold face had been replaced by rage; the hair once pinned with a jade hairpin had fallen loose, and his black brocade robe showed multiple tears.

I had thought killing Tie Lanshan would be easy, but who knew he carried so many formation talismans, with all kinds of sinister formations appearing one after another.

Even if his Nine Yin Bow can pierce anything, it's useless if he can't hit a person.

This chase had lasted nearly half a month; tonight he finally caught up again, and if all went well, Tie Lanshan would die tonight.

He had wanted the cultivator ahead to intervene, even for a breath, so he could nock an arrow and shoot him down.

Who knew that cultivator wouldn't help but instead drove the boat to clear the way; though it did little, it ignited Jing Wuming's fury.

The anger built up over days could no longer be contained; he drew his Nine Yin Bow again, without considering how many more shots he had left.

"Kid! Die!"

Before the sound arrived, a blue arrow-light tore through the night sky, carrying its owner's raging fury as it shot forward.

The Nine Yin Arrow-light seemed to become a true path of light, arriving instantly; its piercing intent made any cultivator daring to face it feel their heart and gall bladder split.

Wang Ping was no exception; this was his first clash with a top-tier Qi Refining cultivator.

In both strength and aura, the opponent outmatched him.

But Wang Ping felt no fear; as the boat drifted from its original spot, he had already filled the area within fifty zhang around him with a domineering spiritual field.

That night, those two arrow-lights made Wang Ping realize the Nine Yin Arrow cannot be seen with the eyes.

By the time you see the arrow-light, it's already too late, so only spiritual perception can detect it—but only someone with formidable spiritual power like him can use that method.

In less than a tenth of the moment after Jing Wuming loosed the Nine Yin Arrow, Wang Ping had already sensed its trajectory within the spiritual field he had laid out.

At that moment, Wang Ping had not yet seen the arrow-light.

Hum! The prepared azure light ring output at maximum power; almost as soon as Wang Ping thought, it vanished.

That is, at the instant the azure light ring vanished, a piercing metallic clang burst three meters ahead of Wang Ping.

Wang Ping couldn't help but blast back dozens of zhang before turning his gaze to the river.

On the black river surface, a ten-inch azure light ring spun rapidly, constantly resisting a blue arrow.

Arrow and ring simultaneously burst with blinding light, extremely conspicuous on the dark river.

They lasted only a breath; the azure light ring suddenly shattered into three sword-lights shooting in all directions.

Yet that arrow kept flying toward Wang Ping!

Sure enough, it had homing capability; Wang Ping cursed bitterly, but after being blocked once, the arrow's speed was far reduced.

With his spiritual perception, it was easy to judge its trajectory.

Ding!

A golden flash burst forth; the blue Nine Yin Arrow, struck by Wang Ping's wielded enlarged Vajra Pestle, shattered into specks of blue light rain falling across heaven and earth.

At that moment, heaven and earth seemed to pause for an instant; Jing Wuming's face filled with disbelief, and the fleeing Tie Lanshan, upon hearing the piercing metallic clang, jerked his head back—and then saw a scene he would never forget.

On the dark river, a blue-robed cultivator angrily smashed the Nine Yin Arrow; the specks of blue light rain seemed to celebrate him.

No one knew how desperate the days had been when Jing Wuming pursued him with his Nine Yin Bow; no matter what first-tier formation he set up, it could not stop the Nine Yin Arrow's piercing power.

Tonight he had exhausted his tricks; he was likely to fall.

In the final moments of his life, to see someone shatter the Nine Yin Arrow—this sight shocked him beyond what outsiders could comprehend.

On the river, Wang Ping's boat beneath his feet had shattered into splinters; he now stood with both feet on the water, left hand holding the Vajra Pestle upside down, and his Azure Gleam Sword hovered silently beside him.

In the distance, Jing Wuming stared in disbelief at the young cultivator standing on the river.

Even now he could not believe that a peerless, all-piercing Nine Yin Arrow could be shattered by someone.

How could that be?

How could that be? I don't believe it!

Jing Wuming suddenly bellowed like a madman, then let out a hysterical laugh.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Impossible—Nine Yin Bow and Nine Yin Arrow are invincible under heaven; how could they be blocked! Kid, take another arrow—I don't believe you can stop it."

Saying that, he pulled the Nine Yin Bow again, his inner spiritual power frenziedly gathering; this time the Nine Yin Arrow emitted an eerie red light.

Elsewhere, Tie Lanshan's eyes flickered uncertainly; finally the image of Xionger falling surfaced in his mind, and considering his present situation, he gritted his teeth, stopped fleeing, and flew straight toward Wang Ping.

"Fellow cultivator, this is the Nine Yin Bow of the Mo State Jing Clan; that black arrow and the earlier blue arrow are both Nine Yin Arrows. The black arrow is the greatest killing arrow among the Nine Yin Arrows, named the Slaughter Arrow, formed by killing intent combined with the Tie Clan's secret method, specially to destroy souls—do not take it lightly."

Tie Lanshan, while flying, sent a spiritual reminder.

Wang Ping nodded with a solemn expression; the recent collision made him realize that the blue light ring was still no match for the Nine Yin Arrow.

But now he couldn't leave even if he wanted to; Jing Wuming had already drawn the Nine Yin Bow, obviously intending to collide again.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Wang Ping spread his fingers downward with his right hand; this time, thick and pure spiritual power continuously flowed into the light ring.

The blue light ring spun wildly beneath his palm, reaching the fastest rotation speed ever, and at its center it actually generated a weak suction.