"Bang!"

The Demon Refining Spear struck the Golden Alms Bowl that Ling Xiao used to block, like a bloody lightning bolt, producing a deafening explosion.

Ling Xiao’s feet sank three inches into the ground, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but the battle intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

"At least now, I can make you expend more effort!"

Ling Xiao grinned, and the Golden Alms Bowl suddenly spun out of his hand, tracing a cunning trajectory through the air, heading straight for Long Teng’s temple.

Long Teng slightly tilted his head, the bowl brushing past his hair, taking a few strands with it.

"Tricks of the petty!"

He sneered, the Demon Refining Spear suddenly shifted from striking to thrusting, its tip condensing a point of scarlet light.

"Blood Demon Break!"

The red light at the spear’s tip exploded abruptly, transforming into a bloodline as thin as a thread, piercing through Ling Xiao instantly.

Ling Xiao let out a muffled grunt, a penetrating blood hole appeared on his right shoulder, and blood spurted out.

"It’s not over yet!"

Long Teng, relentless in his attack, twirled the spear like a dragon, striking Ling Xiao’s waist once more, sending him flying dozens of meters before crashing through three ancient trees, finally coming to a halt.

In the distance, Gu Sheng witnessed this scene, his hand gripping the sword trembling slightly.

But he knew he couldn’t afford to be distracted now, and following Ling Xiao’s suggestion, he completely relinquished his control over the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword.

"If the sword has a spirit, please lend me your strength..."

Gu Sheng murmured softly, his palm lightly pressed on the sword hilt, his spiritual power flowing into the blade like a gentle stream.

Strangely, the spiritual power, which had been obstructed before, now poured into the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword as if rivers entering the sea, eagerly absorbed.

"Buzz——"

The sword suddenly emitted a clear sword hum, and the seven star markings lit up one by one, radiating ancient and profound light.

Gu Sheng was delighted to discover that something seemed to be awakening within the sword, an aura of ageless antiquity spreading from it.

"Is this... the artifact spirit?"

Gu Sheng’s heartbeat accelerated, feeling a faint response from within the sword, as if conversing with an existence through a veil.

As more spiritual power flowed in, the vibrations of the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword grew intense, the surrounding air began to distort, Yin Yang Qi spontaneously gathered, forming a black and white swirling vortex at the blade’s edge.

"No good!"

Long Teng, chasing Ling Xiao, suddenly paused, turning towards Gu Sheng’s direction in horror.

He felt an unsettling terrifying aura awakening, resembling being targeted by an ancient fierce beast.

"That sword... there’s an issue!"

Long Teng’s face changed drastically, ignoring Ling Xiao, and he turned to charge at Gu Sheng. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Thinking of leaving?"

Despite his bloodied state, Ling Xiao leaped from the rubble and seized Long Teng’s right leg firmly.

"Your opponent is me!"

"Get off!"

Long Teng roared, the Demon Refining Spear slammed into Ling Xiao’s back, producing a deep impact sound.

Ling Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood yet held on tightly.

"Gu Sheng... hurry!"

At this moment, the Yin Yang Qi around the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword surged to a staggering level, a black and white sword qi soared skyward, extending to a nearly thousand-meter length, resembling a colossal pillar connecting heaven and earth.

"Is this... summoned by me?"

Gu Sheng looked up at the skyward sword qi, speechless in shock.

He could feel the power contained within the sword qi far exceeded his imagination, possibly surpassing his control.

Seeing this scene, Long Teng’s eyes finally showed a look of fear.

The destructive aura emanating from that thousand-meter-long sword qi made even him, a Taichu Realm Holy Land Core Disciple, feel a pang of heart palpitations.

"Damn it!"

Long Teng fiercely kicked Ling Xiao aside, abandoning decorum, and turned to flee.

He didn’t even care about Wang Yuchen and Liang Yu who were watching from afar, desperately wanting to escape the attack range of the terrifying sword qi.

"Trying to run?"

Gritting his teeth, Gu Sheng exhausted, gripped the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword with both hands, and slowly swung toward the direction Long Teng was fleeing.

"Infinity... Sword Qi! Slash!"

With this low call, the thousand-meter-long black and white sword qi, like a heavenly pillar collapsing, slashed with a roar.

Where the sword qi passed, the space seemed to tear, leaving a long-lasting black and white mark.

Gu Sheng felt the last of his spiritual power drained by the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword, his vision darkened, completely losing consciousness.

In his last moment of fainting, he saw the heaven-destroying sword qi roaring towards Long Teng...

Feeling the deathly aura approaching from behind, Long Teng knew it was too late to flee.

He spun around abruptly, holding the Demon Refining Spear across his chest, and poured all his spiritual power into it unreservedly.

"Blood Demon True Body!"

The Demon Refining Spear erupted with blinding blood light, forming a thick crimson barrier in front of him, while the spear expanded several times, transforming into a three-meters-long giant spear to meet the descending sword qi.

"Boom——!!!"

The moment the black and white sword qi collided with the blood-colored giant spear, a stillness enveloped the world, followed by an ear-splitting explosion.

Even the center of the collision showed slight spatial cracks, the tumultuous energy shock wave swept across several miles, plowing a terrifying trench ten meters deep and almost a hundred meters wide.

The blood-colored barrier only held for less than a breath of time before shattering, the Demon Refining Spear wailed under the strain, with numerous cracks appearing on its body.

Long Teng’s eyes widened, watching helplessly as the devastating sword qi pierced through all defenses, slashing towards him...

"No——!!"

The scream was abruptly cut off, the black and white sword qi swept past Long Teng’s body unimpeded, its momentum undiminished, slashing into the distance, flattening a small hill before slowly dissipating.

As the dust gradually cleared, Ling Xiao dragged his injured body to the edge of the terrifying trench.