Earlier, when he and the two women had unleashed this Secret Technique, the manifestations of the sun, moon, and stars had been brilliantly vivid—a crescent moon and a canopy of stars orbiting around the blazing sun, each nourishing the other. But now, those celestial manifestations showed signs of dispersing, and the aura of all three had diminished significantly.
Li Minghai, on the other hand, remained as vigorous as ever, showing not the slightest hint of decline.
Unless something unexpected happened, Gu Jianxin would ultimately lose.
While they fought with furious intensity, Yang Kai began shifting his position, inching closer.
The fact that Gu Jianxin had held out this long was already remarkable. Even if he couldn't inflict serious damage on Li Minghai in the final moments, he could at least cause some trouble—at the very least, draw Li Minghai's attention.
Once Li Minghai's attention was divided, Yang Kai could seize the opportunity to strike.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had closed to a position roughly ten li from the battlefield. This was the closest he could get without being detected—any nearer, and Li Minghai would certainly notice.
The moment he concealed himself, Li Minghai's voice boomed across the battlefield: "Young Alliance Master, if that's all the skill you have, then this old man will send you on your way!"
Gu Jianxin said nothing—whether because he had no breath to spare or simply refused to respond—the sword light woven between him and his two sword attendants suddenly surged. In an instant, it transformed into a massive blade of sword energy stretching a hundred zhang long, which he brought crashing down upon Li Minghai.
Li Minghai laughed heartily. "Parlor tricks! Even now, Young Alliance Master, you still insist on putting up a futile resistance?"
With that, he flicked his Soul-Severing Spear, and a beam of pitch-black profound light shot from its tip to meet the colossal sword blade.
The white and black radiance collided in midair, sending rings of luminescence rippling outward in every direction. Within those rings lurked a terrifying force so devastating that even Return Void realm cultivators would have been forced to retreat—testament to the ferocity of this clash.
The two sharply contrasting lights remained locked in a stalemate, but the deadlock was broken swiftly.
No one could tell what Secret Technique Li Minghai had employed. The pitch-black radiance swelled dramatically, pushing the sword energy straight back.
A deafening boom rang out.
The sword energy shattered into fragments, and amid stifled grunts, three figures were sent hurtling in different directions.
Gu Jianxin's face was deathly pale. A trace of blood seeped from the corner of his lips—it was clear he had sustained some injuries.
His two sword attendants fared even worse. Having trained alongside Gu Jianxin since childhood, they existed solely to serve him, and their cultivation had always lagged a step behind his. To make matters worse, they had borne a greater share of the impact. Both sword attendants were now trembling violently, barely able to stand, blood pouring from their mouths and noses and staining their robes red.
A vicious gleam flickered in Li Minghai's eyes. Rather than seize the chance to take Gu Jianxin's life, he dashed forward instead, spinning his long spear and charging at the Left Sword Attendant, who was closest to him.
As a Void King realm powerhouse, his combat experience was naturally exceptional. Though this was the perfect moment to kill Gu Jianxin, the young man's background was far from ordinary—he even carried a treasure like the Minghai Domain Mirror. There was no telling whether he possessed other, even more powerful Artifacts.
Li Minghai was not confident he could finish him in a single blow.
So he chose the Left Sword Attendant as his target. Without her support, Gu Jianxin would be unable to execute the Three Swords Radiance Secret Technique. At that point, Li Minghai could simply grind him down through attrition.
When Li Minghai's movement registered in her vision, a look of resolute determination and alarm flashed through the Right Sword Attendant's eyes. She hastily steadied her retreating body, channeled her Sacred Power, and surged forward with her sword light, pushing herself to the limit to reach the Left Sword Attendant.
Gu Jianxin screamed frantically: "
Even as the words left his mouth, he too broke into a desperate sprint toward her.
Three streaks of light raced after the Left Sword Attendant in quick succession, rapidly closing the distance.
A mocking smile curled at the corners of Li Minghai's mouth. Sensing the moment was ripe, he suddenly reversed course and hurled the Soul-Severing Spear with lethal force toward the Right Sword Attendant.
Everyone froze for an instant.
Only then did everyone realize—Li Minghai's true target had never been the Left Sword Attendant, but the Right Sword Attendant all along!
Or perhaps he had simply adapted on the fly, choosing a better target of opportunity...
Once free of Li Minghai's grip, the Soul-Severing Spear writhed and transformed into a colossal serpent, its massive jaws gaping wide, its murderous aura surging skyward. In the blink of an eye, it materialized before the Right Sword Attendant, moments away from swallowing her whole.
This was a genuine Void King-class Artifact. The Right Sword Attendant alone had no way of withstanding it—a direct hit would mean certain death.
Just then, a flash of light erupted from somewhere on Gu Jianxin's body. Whether it was some Secret Technique or Artifact, his entire figure appeared before the Right Sword Attendant in an instant. He wrapped one arm around her, shielding her to his side and behind him, as a blue treasure armor composed of countless overlapping scales materialized around his body.