Chapter 113: Life‑Born Magic Treasure!

The dust‑sweeping fan in Liang Yuehua's hand, previously used to bind the Lin sisters, was merely a minor test; only now, fighting Zhou Songbai, does its power truly manifest.

This is a Magic Treasure whose power has reached the third‑tier level! It already shows hints of sentience; each dust tail turns into a silver‑glowing filament that extends infinitely, like a swarm of demons dancing. Any single filament can match the full‑force strike of a mid‑ to late‑stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and when dozens or hundreds act together, the combined force far exceeds what a Foundation cultivator can imagine.

In comparison, Zhou Songbai's eleven magic swords, though each exudes great aura, have never reached third‑tier might.

Each magic sword's power is roughly a second‑tier superior grade.

Yet the remarkable thing is that these eleven swords form a set, likely forged by the same alchemy master, and with Zhou Songbai's extraordinary sword technique, the cumulative effect yields a qualitative change, making them no weaker than a third‑tier Magic Treasure.

After forming a massive sword array, they surrounded Xiao Zhangqing and his companions in the center, intercepting all attacks.

"Zhou Turtle, after all these years you're still the same! You wasted your sword‑path divine skill, always thinking of defense the moment you meet an enemy; you deserved the opportunity that was snatched from you back then!" Liang Yuehua sneered mockingly.

Zhou Songbai, manipulating the impenetrable sword array, retorted: "Fairy Liang, you were abandoned in disappointment back then; perhaps it was because your temper was too volatile?"

"Zhou Turtle, you're courting death!"

Liang Yuehua went berserk, as if a painful foot had been stepped on; the countless silver‑glowing filaments turned into a slew of jade‑scaled dragons that collided wildly with the sword rays. Gradually, the sword array's simple defense could no longer hold, forcing Zhou Songbai to alter the array and go on the offensive, while both sides' magical power and spirit were being consumed wildly.

From the initial probing to now, the two have truly ignited; at the collision's midpoint, the spiritual energy was shredded and sucked out, as if a vacuum vortex had formed.

Gong Wansheng, an experienced late‑stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, watched with dread and leapt backward.

Su Rongrong and the Lin sisters withdrew far away early on.

Xiao Zhangqing, to avoid standing out too much, also retreated with Gong Wansheng, leaving the battlefield to the two Fake Core True Persons.

"This is my first time witnessing a Jie Dan‑level duel."

"Hmm, even though they're only Fake Core, I can't look down on them. After all, this also surpasses the Foundation stage."

"I need to observe carefully, compare and estimate; it's a rare chance, giving me a clearer understanding of my own strength."

"However, the power, though impressive, wasn't beyond my expectations. It's just that these two's magic treasures are far superior to mine; aside from the Thousand Illusion Mask—a soul‑dao Magic Treasure I obtained from a corpse—everything else I have is junk!"

"Seven magic swords are only first‑tier!"

"If only I could snatch those two's magic treasures…"

Xiao Zhangqing, while observing their duel, silently calculated in his mind.

Neither of them harbors any goodwill toward him.

There's no need to mention Liang Yuehua, the fierce demoness; even this Zhou Songbai, a Fake Core True Person of the Luoxia Sect, could he truly be here just to help Xiao Zhangqing?

Just now, when he spoke up for Xiao Zhangqing and blocked Liang Yuehua, his words implied that he regarded Xiao Zhangqing as a member of the Luoxia Sect.

After blocking Liang Yuehua and forcing her to retreat, Xiao Zhangqing should be grateful to him—or to the Luoxia Sect—and must return to the Luoxia Sect with him.

Xiao Zhangqing has no doubt: if he doesn't recognize the favor, after Liang Yuehua leaves, he still refuses to follow Zhou Songbai back to the Luoxia Sect, the other side will forcibly take him away! The cultivation and magical power of Liang Yuehua and Zhou Songbai differ only slightly; both excel in balanced offensive‑defensive techniques. At this moment their true‑fire duels have become fierce, yet for a while neither can overcome the other. Though it looks dangerous and intense, both are merely protecting themselves; sword rays and silver light interlace, and after a while only a considerable amount of magical power and spirit have been consumed, and the injuries are minor.

Gong Wansheng and Su Rongrong watched anxiously, their hearts stirred, while Xiao Zhangqing felt their duel was rather unimpressive and muttered to himself, "Don't they have any killing moves?"

In the instant Xiao Zhangqing thought that, Zhou Songbai's sword array was split open by endless silver dust light, and the sword qi could not reconverge instantly.

Based on the earlier duel, Zhou Songbai only needed to dodge in time and could quickly restore the sword array without danger.

But at that moment, a silver long whip appeared before Liang Yuehua, and under the drive of magical power it transformed into a wholly silver‑white translucent jade‑scaled dragon.

As the dragon exhaled, the surrounding world suddenly changed dramatically; everyone present seemed to be placed on the icy layer of an Arctic wasteland. The Lin sisters, the weakest cultivators only at Late Stage of Lian Qi, immediately shivered, and for them, who are normally unaffected by mortal cold and heat, their blood now nearly froze solid.

Even Su Rongrong and Gong Wansheng, both Foundation cultivators, felt unusually uncomfortable, vaguely sensing their movements constrained and their magical power flowing poorly.

They were merely affected indirectly, not taking the attack head‑on; one can imagine how severe the cold binding would be for Zhou Songbai himself.

"Life‑born Magic Treasure? Fairy Liang, do you really want to risk your life against me?" Zhou Songbai, seeing this, became unsettled and shouted in a deep voice.

"Risking your life? You, Zhou Turtle, are worthy? Once I capture you and deal with Xiao Zhangqing, your Luoxia Sect will obediently bring the treasure to my Baihua Valley to redeem people!"

Liang Yuehua's murderous intent flared; with a swift flick of her finger, the silver‑white dragon lunged at the ice‑slowed opponent, and Zhou Songbai, unable to reform his sword array in time, had to decide the outcome in one strike!

A life‑born Magic Treasure is the standard for a Jie Dan True Person; once a cultivator forms a Golden Core, they can forge their own life‑born Magic Treasure! Such treasures possess sentience, grow and strengthen alongside their owner, and can unleash power beyond the ordinary, unmatched by typical third‑tier Magic Treasures.

However, generally only True Core cultivators can forge life‑born Magic Treasures; Fake Core cultivators find it difficult, requiring great cost and extraordinary will and talent.

Even if a few Fake Core True Persons manage to forge one, using it harms themselves compared to a Jie Dan cultivator, almost equivalent to a forbidden secret technique.

Therefore, in magical power and spirit, Fake Core True Persons are no different from the weakest early‑stage Jie Dan cultivators; their strength is comparable. This only holds before a Jie Dan cultivator has time to forge a life‑born Magic Treasure. Once a Jie Dan True Person possesses one, they can normally crush a Fake Core True Person.

And a Fake Core True Person who has a life‑born Magic Treasure is a top‑tier among Fake Core ranks! Thus, when Liang Yuehua unleashed her life‑born Magic Treasure, it showed she had ignited true fire, willing to pay the price to defeat Zhou Songbai.

Yet just as Liang Yuehua was determined to obtain it, believing Zhou Songbai could not block her life‑born Magic Treasure,

Zhou Songbai activated his sword technique, a sword seal appearing at his brow; then a long sword wrapped in violet lightning materialized in the air, slashing fiercely at the silver‑white dragon that was tearing forward.

The clashing of swords and the dragon's roar interwove.

Both their magical powers were driven to the limit, each mobilizing their own Fake Core to wield their life‑born Magic Treasure, and the mighty forces continuously collided.

Buzz—! The powerful sword qi forcefully sliced through the icy binding and also repelled Liang Yuehua's life‑born Magic Treasure attack; after the initial chaos, Zhou Songbai quickly steadied himself.

Boom! After another clash, the violet‑light long sword and the silver long whip's glows dimmed slightly, each emitting a whimper as they flew back to their owners.

Both duelists turned pale and stepped back, increasing the distance.

Blood trickled from Zhou Songbai's mouth corner, indicating a serious wound, but Liang Yuehua fared no better; her left arm's robe was slashed open, leaving a shocking bloodstain that kept dripping,

"Zhou Turtle, when did you forge your life‑born Magic Treasure?!" Liang Yuehua's almond eyes stared fixedly at the violet‑light long sword, both shocked and angry.

This magic sword's might clearly reaches the third tier and already possesses sentience; otherwise its power could not be so great.

"Fairy Liang, no need for such a fuss. My life‑born Flying Sword is decent, but compared to your dragon‑silver whip, it's still a bit inferior." Zhou Songbai wiped the blood from his mouth corner, speaking somewhat resentfully.

At this stage of the duel, Liang Yuehua wants to take him down, crushing the Luoxia Sect's prestige and forcing them to redeem people. He, too, wishes to capture Liang Yuehua, so that the increasingly arrogant Baihua Valley will recognize the power of the Luoxia Sect, whose near‑thousand‑year legacy, even in decline, still surpasses anything Baihua Valley can match.

But unfortunately.

Both are Fake Core cultivators who have forged life‑born Magic Treasures; even at the cost of activating the "Dead Silence" Golden Core within and shortening their lives, they cannot defeat each other.

By this point, both sides feel powerless despite their intentions, becoming discouraged.

This is the sorrow of their Fake Core True Persons.

Though also called "True Persons," they are often equivalent to early‑stage Jie Dan cultivators and enjoy the same treatment.

Yet only they know that, compared with genuine Golden Core True Persons, the gap between them is enormous.

If today one of them were a true Jie Dan cultivator, he could, by costlessly activating his life‑born magic sword, easily drag the other to death! But now, if they truly wish to decide a winner, it's no longer as simple as capturing each other and waiting for the opponent's sect to redeem them.

Determine the winner, witness life and death!

……

"Is this the true power of the Dan‑binding level?"

Xiao Zhangqing, who originally thought the two's duel was unremarkable, couldn't help but focus his spirit intensely, and a faint sense of apprehension finally arose in his heart.

Activating the life‑bound artifact versus not activating it makes a huge difference in power.

If Zhou Songbai hadn't intervened today, Liang Yuehua's deployment of her life‑bound artifact would have been unstoppable for Xiao Zhangqing.

Even by activating the solidified magical energy stored in the Immortal Stone to unleash the Six Directions Sword Art, he could not hold out long and would have to flee.

Of course.

If it came down to a life‑or‑death clash, his full‑force deployment of the Soul‑Transformation secret technique would likely still be beyond Liang Yuehua's resistance…

"It seems there's still a gap between me and a true Dan‑binding master,"

Xiao Zhangqing thought to himself.

He had originally believed that after this promotion to the mid‑Foundation Establishment stage, he would no longer need to fear a Dan‑binding early‑stage master, and would have advantages over a Fake Core True Person in every respect.

Now he realizes that even a Fake Core cultivator is not so easy to deal with.

……

"Fairy Liang, shall we call it off today? I'm definitely taking Xiao Zhangqing back to the Luoxia Sect—that's the sect master's order. If you're still upset, I can decide and have Xiao Zhangqing apologize to Fairy Su," Zhou Songbai said.

He no longer wanted to continue battling the old woman Liang Yuehua.

Being unable to determine a winner would only waste each other's lifespan pointlessly, not worth it.

Thus he is willing to make a concession, lower his stance, and proactively give the other a way out.

"Call it off? Zhou Wugui, I think you're dreaming!"

Fairy Liang's eyes darkened; the Jiao‑Long Silver Whip in her hand suddenly burst forth with dazzling light again, its illusory dragon image now several degrees stronger than before!

Zhou Songbai was shocked, incredulously saying, "Liang Yuehua, you madwoman, are you really going to clash with me to the death today?"

Driving their life‑bound Magic Treasure to this extent, as Fake Core cultivators, if they kept dueling like this they might not die but would be left with only half a life, and it would be uncertain whether they could ever recover. Yet the next moment, Zhou Songbai realized his guess was wrong.

Although Liang Yuehua is obsessively insane—a lunatic—but she has not lost her reason to the point of risking her life over such a trivial matter today.

Because the opponent's life‑bound artifact, the Jiao‑Long Silver Whip, did not sweep toward him again, but instead curled toward the distant Xiao Zhangqing!

"Zhou Wugui, I have to ask you. Do you dare to clash with me to the death?" Fairy Liang sneered repeatedly.

Zhou Songbai was horrified; at that critical moment, he had no time to think.

Indeed, he dared not reactivate his life‑bound artifact to clash with Fairy Liang; instead, he activated his eleven magic swords, swiftly forming a sword formation to protect Xiao Zhangqing.

But in fact, doing so was tantamount to abandoning Xiao Zhangqing.

Each of his eleven magic swords is a second‑tier premium weapon, and remarkably they are a set of artifacts; together they can rival a third‑tier Magic Treasure!

But they are only comparable.

Moreover, Fairy Liang, like a mad demon, was 'clashing to the death' by activating her life‑bound artifact, and his eleven magic swords could not block it.

"Fairy Liang, why must you strike so mercilessly! Xiao Zhangqing is a talent who can play a great role in resisting the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator invasion!"

Zhou Songbai still tried to persuade.

Unfortunately, Fairy Liang paid no heed; under the impact of the Jiao‑Long Silver Whip, the sword formation of the eleven magic swords began to fall apart.

Zhou Songbai hurriedly activated the Purple Lightning Magic Sword to strike Fairy Liang's true form, attempting a 'surround Wei to rescue Zhao'.

But the Dust‑Sweeping Sword in Fairy Liang's hand is also a third‑tier Magic Treasure; though not as powerful as Zhou Songbai's life‑bound Magic Treasure, it could hold him off for a short while.

Enough for her to kill Xiao Zhangqing!

However, at the moment these two major Fake Core cultivators exhausted their final strength,

suddenly…

Aooo!!

Another dragon's roar rang across the heavens.

But unlike the Jiao‑Long Silver Whip, which is driven by magical energy,

this dragon's roar sounded like a death knell, striking the deepest part of Fairy Liang's and Zhou Songbai's Soul Transformations!

(End of Chapter)