Chapter 33: The Artifact Shakes the Heavens!
“What has he been doing this past year!”
In the crowd, Zhang Luanfeng watched Lu Qingyang on the arena stage, the corner of his mouth twitching violently.
He had been in secluded cultivation for a year and had no idea what had happened to Lu Qingyang.
He only felt that the other party had become a stranger.
But listening to the clamor and discussion around him, he could tell that Lu Qingyang seemed to have achieved no small amount this past year.
Yet he quickly regained his composure.
“Hmph, I have already informed Martial-Uncle Lin. Since you dare to step onto the stage, someone will deal with you.”
Zhang Luanfeng let out a cold laugh.
“Whoosh!”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, a burly figure had already shot straight toward Lu Qingyang’s arena stage!
“It’s Senior Brother Lin!”
“Isn’t that Lin Xiong, the direct grandson of the Spirit Beast Bureau’s Vice Bureau Chief?”
“I heard he’s not only at the peak of Qi Refining’s ninth layer, but three years ago he even cultivated a demon beast secret technique!”
“Tsk tsk, looks like this battle will be interesting.”
Seeing Lin Xiong make his move, a wave of exclamations rose from below.
“Hm?”
On the arena stage, Lu Qingyang saw the newcomer clearly and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The reason he had set up his stage in the first batch was naturally because he had his own plans.
He had been hiding his abilities for so long since arriving here, all to keep a low profile.
But now, at the Peak Selection Gathering, he had changed his usual approach for the sake of that legendary Sun-Moon Peak!
Only by entering Sun-Moon Peak can I remain more secure within the Chaotian Sect.
From every angle, this peak is the Chaotian Sect’s true foundation.
The other Nine Bureaus and two peaks seem more like foils meant to select disciples for Sun-Moon Peak. I must make Sun-Moon Peak take notice of me.
Lu Qingyang’s gaze flickered, and he clenched his fist slightly.
He knew that although the cultivators of Sun-Moon Peak were not present, they were certainly observing everything in secret.
Under such circumstances, he had to perform even more brilliantly, even more dominantly.
Otherwise, he would have no fate with Sun-Moon Peak.
“Swoosh!”
Lu Qingyang’s gaze focused. He stamped his foot on the ground, and his entire body instantly widened the distance from Lin Xiong.
“Heh heh, Junior Brother Lu, I have long heard of your great name. But my elder brother gave instructions — I absolutely cannot let you enter the Inner Gate.”
“So do not blame Lin for being merciless.”
Lin Xiong laughed heartily, and two sharp lights suddenly erupted within his eyes.
A pitch-black heavy ruler abruptly appeared in his hand.
The heavy ruler radiated a terrifying aura. One look was enough to tell it was a Dharma Artifact of extraordinary power.
“Kill!”
Lin Xiong roared, and gripping the heavy ruler, he chopped horizontally toward Lu Qingyang.
“Boom~~”
A wild, savage momentum swept outward.
The heavy ruler, carrying unparalleled astral wind, slashed toward Lu Qingyang.
Lu Qingyang’s expression changed slightly. He did not know who the “elder brother” the other party spoke of was.
But from the looks of it, he seemed to have offended someone in the sect…
“Hmph!”
Lu Qingyang’s mind stirred, and a formation plate suddenly appeared in his hand.
On the formation plate, a faint sharp aura was revealed.
It turned out that the back of the formation plate had five Nightshade Shuttles pressed tightly against it!
“Go!”
Lu Qingyang gave a light shout.
The five Nightshade Shuttles instantly shot out like flowing light, hurtling toward Lin Xiong’s heavy ruler.
“Bang!”
“Clang clang clang!”
A series of metallic collisions rang out.
The five Nightshade Shuttles collided with Lin Xiong’s heavy ruler, producing a dense clanging sound.
“Hm? You actually have a set of first-tier intermediate Dharma Artifacts!”
“But relying on just these to block this lord’s attack is laughable.”
Lin Xiong’s face turned ferocious. The spiritual power within his body surged out madly, pouring into the heavy ruler, causing its power to climb another notch.
“Bang!”
“Crack!”
“Pfft!”
Though the Nightshade Shuttles were powerful, they ultimately could not withstand the heavy ruler’s mass.
With a series of crisp cracks, the five Nightshade Shuttles were directly sent flying.
The pitch-black heavy ruler still smashed straight toward Lu Qingyang.
Seeing that Lu Qingyang had no time to dodge, Lin Xiong revealed a trace of mockery.
“Boom!”
But before his words had faded, his pupils violently contracted.
Lu Qingyang unhurriedly pulled out four more formation plates from his storage bag.
A full twenty Nightshade Shuttles hovered directly in midair, forming a weapon formation!
“Hiss!”
The many disciples below who saw this all drew a sharp breath.
“Heavens, Senior Brother Lu actually has so many Dharma Artifacts!”
“Twenty Nightshade Shuttles! Plus four formation plates, isn’t this too extravagant?”
“Could Senior Brother Lu also be a descendant of some major clan in the sect?”
…
The surrounding discussion grew louder and louder, and Lin Xiong’s face grew gloomier and gloomier.
“Hmph, in quantity of Dharma Artifacts, I am inferior to you, but in preciousness of Dharma Artifacts, you are inferior to me!”
Lin Xiong bellowed, patted his storage bag, and a nimble little shield popped out!
“That’s… a first-tier top-grade Dharma Artifact, the Primordial Shield!”
“Good heavens, he actually has such a treasure!”
…
The surrounding disciples all cried out in shock.
Although the Primordial Shield was only a first-tier Dharma Artifact, it had already reached top-grade, rarer than ordinary second-tier Dharma Artifacts.
Usually, elders of major clans would painstakingly seek one out and bestow it upon their juniors for protection.
After all, second-tier Dharma Artifacts could only be perfectly wielded by Foundation Establishment True Persons. If a Qi Refining disciple obtained one, they would instead be unable to unleash its power.
But a first-tier top-grade Dharma Artifact was like adding wings to a tiger for a Qi Refining disciple.
Hence, they were hard to find.
Lin Xiong gripped the Primordial Shield, looking ferociously at Lu Qingyang as if gazing at a dead man.
Lu Qingyang’s expression was calm. His gaze swept over the Primordial Shield in Lin Xiong’s hand, his demeanor placid.
“A first-tier top-grade Dharma Artifact? Truly generous.”
“Hm?”
Lin Xiong’s face froze. He did not understand where Lu Qingyang’s confidence to remain so calm came from.
The corner of Lu Qingyang’s mouth curved upward.
“Your Primordial Shield is indeed not bad, but… my formation plates are not limited to just five.”
“Hum!”
Lu Qingyang flipped his palm and took out four more formation plates!
A full nine formation plates, and forty-five pitch-black Nightshade Shuttles hovered in the air, radiating waves of nauseating, cold killing intent!
“What!”
Lin Xiong’s eyes contracted sharply, his eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets.
He had never seen anyone able to control so many Dharma Artifacts.
After all, controlling Dharma Artifacts consumed spiritual power. To control so many simultaneously absolutely required spiritual power above the Foundation Establishment stage.
He did not understand how Lu Qingyang was doing it.
But how could he possibly know that Lu Qingyang’s control over spiritual power had reached an almost monstrous level.
Ever since obtaining that segment of Remnant Dao Rhyme, Lu Qingyang’s control over spiritual power was now consummate!
Even more exquisite than some True Persons who had just entered Foundation Establishment.
And at this moment, whether Lin Xiong, the disciples below the stage, or the many Foundation Establishment True Persons and the Flame Grass Peak Lord Wang Tiande, all were shaken.
Because they simply could not imagine that someone could simultaneously control so many Dharma Artifacts.
In full view of everyone, the forty-five Nightshade Shuttles, like a violent storm, ruthlessly enveloped Lin Xiong.
Lin Xiong’s eyelids twitched madly, sweat beading on his forehead. He hurriedly summoned the Primordial Shield to defend.
“Ding ding ding!”
Countless crisp metallic rings rang out.
Lin Xiong felt severe pain all over his body, his face pale as paper, his arms trembling violently.
Those few short breaths made Lin Xiong feel like years, as if countless eons had passed…