Chapter 154: Revealing Strength, Mid‑Nascent Soul?

Gu Zongyuan's spear has astonishingly reached the third‑grade Magic Treasure level!

At the moment the spear thrusts, it seems as if a high‑rank fire‑type demon beast roars, the flames coalescing into the beast's shape, while the spear becomes the beast's sharpest massive claw!

Its sheer might actually surpasses the formation forged by the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards.

The flickering spiritual fluctuations and terrifying power indicate that this Magic Treasure not only reached third‑grade, but, like Song Changning's long sword and the Song family heirloom now claimed by Xiao Zhangqing, also possesses a spirit, making it a third‑grade Magic Treasure!

Even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation can unleash more than half of this flaming spear Magic Treasure's power! However, Gu Zongyuan indeed has Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, and now he commands the formation, bolstered by the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards; the magical energy within his body, transformed and condensed by the battle array, has risen to a solid magical power comparable to that of a Fake Core True Person! Thus, his robust solid magical power combined with a third‑grade Magic Treasure that bears a spirit, even a Nascent Soul True Person at the early stage would not dare to meet the spear's force head‑on.

Moreover, the Puppet Evil Lord is currently restrained by Xiao Zhangqing's Soul‑Perception secret technique, his Soul‑Perception is affected and reacts sluggishly.

"Die for me!"

Gu Zongyuan roars angrily, sparing no effort.

At this critical moment, the Puppet Evil Lord lets out a great shout, somehow manages to break free from Xiao Zhangqing's Soul‑Perception influence, and hurriedly summons three second‑grade superior-quality puppets to intercept before him.

Boom—boom—boom! The three second‑grade superior puppets cannot possibly withstand the third‑grade Magic Treasure driven by magical power comparable to a Nascent Soul True Person.

The spear Magic Treasure, ablaze with raging fire, pauses only briefly, then three massive explosions erupt; the three puppets are not only pierced but shattered into fragments.

But that brief pause gives the Puppet Evil Lord a chance to catch his breath; he swiftly twists the technique with both hands, causing flags to unfurl in the wind, transforming into dozens of banners planted at every direction, forming a massive blue light shield that envelops him before the flaming spear can strike.

Buzz! The huge collision roar reverberates through the nearby mountains, the massive shockwave extinguishes many of the flames in the Character: Liyang Guard formation, and the ground trembles.

All eighteen Character: Liyang Guards feel their qi and blood surge, their bodies wobble slightly.

If any one of them were alone under such an impact, they would likely die on the spot.

Fortunately, they have formed a battle array at this moment, dispersing and sharing the collision's impact, allowing the Character: Liyang Guard formation to survive.

"There are no empty warriors beneath a great name. What a formidable Soul‑Perception secret technique; I've roamed the Cultivation World for decades, and I almost fell to a junior like you!"

The Puppet Evil Lord, watching Xiao Zhangqing playing the flute, says with lingering fear.

In comparison, Gu Zongyuan and the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards, though extremely powerful and already surpassing ordinary Fake Core True Persons, even an early‑stage Golden Core cultivator trapped in the array cannot contend with them and must retreat.

But he is experienced; during his Foundation Establishment Realm, he successfully escaped from under a Nascent Soul True Person at the early stage.

Now his strength has surged; he has become a Fake Core True Person, and even though the Character: Liyang Guards plus Gu Zongyuan are stronger than an ordinary early‑stage Nascent Soul True Person, he still moves freely.

If he wants to leave, Gu Zongyuan cannot hold him.

Only Xiao Zhangqing's Soul‑Perception secret technique had just moments ago almost instantly stalled him, stripping his resistance.

This child truly, as rumors said, has a Soul Transformation so powerful it can fully match a Fake Core True Person!

Had he not been prepared, he would already be dead! "Today you're finished! Hundred brothers, continue!"

Gu Zongyuan bellows, activating the spear Magic Treasure, launching spear after spear in a fierce assault; the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards are not idle either, fully powering the battle, hurling wave after wave of fireballs madly at the Puppet Evil Lord.

Xiao Zhangqing stands aside, his Nine‑Autumn Soul‑Perception secret technique delivering wave after wave of Soul attacks, constantly harassing.

"Aaah!"

In a moment, the Puppet Evil Lord's puppets are destroyed one by one; his third‑grade water‑type Magic Treasure's light dims rapidly, about to fail.

Seeing this, Gu Zongyuan's eyes flash with excitement.

If he can take down this Puppet Evil Lord early, then even if something changes today, the goal is achieved. Even if he truly has allies arriving, they're coming to die, and he'll defeat them one by one!

Xiao Zhangqing's expression shows little surprise; instead, he keenly and cautiously watches the surroundings.

In today's encirclement, the Puppet Evil Lord has long ceased to be his primary target.

Thus he never fully committed; he deliberately kept his Soul‑Perception attack tier suppressed to the Fake Core True Person level, otherwise this mere Fake Core realm Puppet Evil Lord couldn't possibly sustain it.

Xiao Zhangqing is deliberately hiding his skill.

If he were to reveal overwhelming strength and easily slay this Fake Core realm Puppet Evil Lord, his allies behind might be so frightened they wouldn't appear.

First, he must confuse the enemy.

Indeed.

When the Puppet Evil Lord is on the verge of collapse, his protective aura constantly torn, streams of scorching force pierce through, wounding him, his robe nearly igniting, a figure like a night‑lurking specter silently arrives on the scene.

This person's aura is extremely concealed; without taking action, not only Gu Zongyuan and the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards fail to notice, but even Liu Ke, the head of the Liu family watching the battle from the side, also remains oblivious.

Yet his figure cannot stay hidden from Xiao Zhangqing, whose cautious vigilance and Soul‑Perception acuity have already approached the late‑stage Nascent Soul level.

Before reaching the battlefield, this person surveyed the situation from afar, bypassed the Liu family head, and, upon seeing the Character: Liyang Guards and Gu Zongyuan, gave a subtle nod.

This scheme's purpose naturally isn't the modest Liu family.

The Liu family, though skilled in beast‑taming and possessing many spirit beasts,

even if they have many, they are only second‑grade.

Without third‑grade spirit beasts, in a place like Character: Liyang Immortal City they can never stand out nor attract sufficient attention.

Thus, from a certain angle, the Liu family's beast‑taming might barely place them among the top ten families of Character: Liyang Immortal City, but at best they're a bottom‑tier presence, similar to the Jiang family.

The Liu family's ability to rank high and compete with the Song family for profit stems from one reason: they are backed by Gu Zongyuan, the most valued disciple of Character: Liyang Immortal City and commander of the Character: Liyang Guards.

Therefore the Liu family isn't worth his elaborate effort to confront.

Or even if he were to slay the Liu family head and eradicate the Liu family, it wouldn't be particularly important to him.

With the Liu family gone, as long as Gu Zongyuan remains, he can support another Zhang family, Ma family…

Today.

He allies with the Puppet Evil Lord, with a single purpose: eliminate Gu Zongyuan and pull off a big move! Of course, if it were only him and the Puppet Evil Lord, the two wouldn't dare take that risk.

Naturally, other hands are involved, deeper entanglements of interest.

It guarantees that after removing Gu Zongyuan, he can remain unscathed. Even if the Character: Liyang True Person erupts in fury and seeks the culprit, they certainly won't trace it to him.

But the hidden figure in the darkness didn't expect the Puppet Evil Lord to fall into such a disadvantage, and within a moment he was on the brink of collapse. If he had arrived later, he would likely have died! His gaze shifted, seeing Xiao Zhangqing playing the flute and executing the Soul‑Perception secret technique outside the formation, he was stunned, then felt a pleasant surprise.

"Very well…"

The dark figure's mouth curls into a smile, yet his first ambush target remains Gu Zongyuan.

First, Gu Zongyuan is his main target today, the one that must be eliminated; second, he believes Gu Zongyuan's threat far exceeds Xiao Zhangqing's.

Even though Xiao Zhangqing's Soul Transformation is strong enough to threaten a Fake Core True Person, to him it is still not frightening.

It is true that there are many trump cards, and the Ancient Sect Elder, who commands a battle formation of eighteen Character: Liyang Guards, has far greater threatening power.

Whoosh! A blood‑colored blade Magic Treasure slashes through the sky, heading straight for the Ancient Sect Elder who is concentrating on attacking the Puppet Evil Lord.

When its magic power fluctuation became visible, it was already almost within arm's reach, and the Ancient Sect Elder had no time to react much.

"Bold!" Seeing this, the Ancient Sect Elder was both shocked and angry, and could only hastily muster the battle formation's power and his own magic power to form a magic shield.

The Puppet Evil Lord truly does have an ally, and his strength has apparently reached the Fake Core True Person level! No! Judging by this silent attack method and the sophisticated concealment technique, he might actually be a genuine Nascent Core True Person! Moreover, he came with such a lethal move aimed directly at him.

"My protective magic shield can't block it!"

The blood‑colored blade arrived in an instant; although it never truly landed, an involuntary look of anxiety flashed across the Ancient Sect Elder's face.

If he gave his all and again mobilized the battle formation's power, this terrifying fluctuation would not be a problem to block.

But this person is too treacherous, striking him by surprise and giving him no time to respond.

"Time to use the trump card!"

A look of pain flickered in the Ancient Sect Elder's eyes as a fiery‑red jade pendant appeared in his hand, ready to be crushed.

But at that moment…

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Eleven Flying Swords, swift as lightning, pierced the void and formed a sword formation in front of the Ancient Sect Elder; although each magic sword was only a second‑tier superior, together with the overwhelming magic power they barely reached Fake Core level.

It was the Clear Sky Eleven Swords that Xiao Zhangqing had not used in ages! It is also the signature sword formation that made Fake Core Elder Zhou Songbai of the Luoxia Sect famous! Boom! The blood‑colored blade's momentum was even stronger, and the terrifying clash almost shattered the Clear Sky formation instantly, but after Xiao Zhangqing unleashed the solidified magic power stored in the Longevity Stone, it stubbornly held.

Xiao Zhangqing drifted in, landing on the foremost magic sword, while the other ten magic swords spread out, gazing from afar at the disguised black figure.

"You've staged such a massive killing game today; why still hide your head and tail, refusing to reveal your true form?" Xiao Zhangqing said coldly.

The black figure recalled the blood‑colored blade, stared in surprise at the sword‑wielding Xiao Zhangqing, and his voice, now hoarse and sinister, said, "Aren't you also disguising your identity? Clearly you're a Nascent Core True Person, yet you masquerade as a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Bai Wuji, that isn't your real name, is it? In the Da Yu Cultivation World, there is no…"

From the black figure's perspective, everyone in Character: Liyang Immortal City has been deceived by Xiao Zhangqing! The so‑called first‑day talent of the Foundation Establishment Realm, whose Soul Transformation is unusually powerful enough to threaten a Fake Core True Person.

In fact, it's simply a Fake Core or Nascent Core True Person in disguise!

Not only is his Soul Transformation strong, but his magic power has already become the solidified magic power unique to Nascent Core cultivators! The power released by the sword formation just now has already exposed Xiao Zhangqing's true cultivation level!

"Brother Bai, I didn't expect you to be a sword cultivator! Thanks for the rescue!"

The Ancient Sect Elder was indeed shocked by Xiao Zhangqing's again‑displayed formidable strength, but he was mostly relieved and grateful for Xiao Zhangqing's rescue.

Otherwise, he would have had to use his trump card to save his life just now.

Without turning his head, Xiao Zhangqing said, "Ancient Brother, I'll take care of that person. You focus on dealing with the Puppet Evil Lord."

"Fine! Brother Bai, please block that person first and prevent his escape! Today I want to see who in Character: Liyang Immortal City is so intent on taking my life!" The Ancient Sect Elder held back a surge of malice; in all these years, no one had ever plotted against him like this.

He then once again commanded the battle formation of the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards, wielded a long spear Magic Treasure, and struck the Puppet Evil Lord even more fiercely! The Puppet Evil Lord had already been at the end of his strength, about to collapse.

At this moment, without Xiao Zhangqing's Soul Transformation interference, his situation eased slightly; he immediately employed a secret technique to forcibly boost his condition and magic power. The once‑dimmed Banner Magic Treasure suddenly surged in strength, its blue barrier filled with water‑walking energy, repelling the battle formation's flames from the eighteen Character: Liyang Guards and the Ancient Sect Elder's long spear Magic Treasure.

Although his puppet was nearly exhausted and he remained at a disadvantage, he could still hold out for a while.

"Old Poison! You must quickly finish off that youngster surnamed Bai, I can't hold on much longer!" the Puppet Evil Lord shouted, his face flushed red.

In his view, his companion would inevitably be able to kill Bai Wuji, even if this Bai Wuji seemed to be a Fake Core True Person rather than a Foundation Establishment prodigy.

But his companion has recently broken through in cultivation, advancing another level, already far ahead of Fake Core cultivators and even early‑Nascent Core True Persons! Yet if this companion fears exposing his identity and dares not use his most favored artifact or divine skill, that would be troublesome.

So he voiced a reminder.

His implication was to urge the other side to finish the battle quickly, without being overly cautious.

If he can't hold on, he will directly reveal his true identity.

"Bai Wuji, I'm actually curious about your true identity. Why are you hiding your name and lurking in Character: Liyang Immortal City…"

"It doesn't matter; whoever stands opposite me today and tries to block me, regardless of who you are, will surely die today!"

The black figure's words hung in the air, and his magic power surged to the limit; the early‑Nascent Core blade Magic Treasure's momentum instantly transformed into a massive light pillar dozens of zhang long, cutting toward Xiao Zhangqing as if to destroy heaven and earth.

Its power more than doubled! Xiao Zhangqing's pupils widened as he guided the Clear Sky Eleven Swords into a formation to block, while he himself darted backward at speed.

Boom! The Clear Sky sword formation, which had barely held before, now let out a wailing cry before the massive light pillar and was forcibly shattered by brute force; the eleven magic swords dimmed, each retreating back with a "mid‑Nascent Core magic power?"

(End of Chapter)