Ling Yunfei looked coldly at Mo Tiange and Tian Can. With a flick of his sleeve, the Pair Flying Swords circling around him simultaneously emitted a clear chime, flashing with a snow-bright sword light as a sharp sword aura soared into the sky.
This was absolutely not the presence a cultivator who had just formed his Core should possess. Even ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivators would find it hard to achieve.
Ling Yunhe watched this scene and sighed softly. "So you've been hiding your strength after all."
"Second Brother, it's been thirty years since I formed my Core," Ling Yunfei said, his gaze icy as he looked at Ling Yunhe. "I don't have your excellent aptitude, but thirty years has been enough time for me to refine a superior Magical Treasure."
"No wonder you never asked me a single question from the moment you started refining your Life-Bound Artifact," Ling Yunhe said with a bitter smile. Thirty years. So he had been preparing for today since thirty years ago.
"Tsk." Seeing Ling Yunfei brandish his swords, Tian Can revealed a mocking look. "The swords aren't bad. Pity about the man wielding them."
"What did you say?" Ling Yunfei flew into a rage, glaring fiercely at Tian Can. He reached out and grasped the longer flying sword, giving it a light swing as the tip of the shorter sword pointed toward Tian Can.
"Fellow Daoist Tian," Mo Tiange, however, looked toward Tian Zhiqian and asked with a smile, "All along this journey, you've been discussing formation techniques with me. Was it to find a way to deal with my Life-Bound Artifact?"
"Heh, I really don't want to be enemies with Fellow Daoist Qin..." Tian Zhiqian sighed, looking quite regretful. He gazed appreciatively at Mo Tiange. "Fellow Daoist Qin's talent in formations is truly astonishing. If you could join our Five Elements Valley, you would surely shine brilliantly. Might Fellow Daoist Qin be interested?"
Mo Tiange tapped the Heaven-Earth Fan in her hand while shaking her head, mimicking his sigh. "Fellow Daoist Tian, this isn't a very sincere way to invite someone."
Tian Zhiqian's eyebrow twitched. He could tell that although this Qin Wei came from the outer seas, her background was likely extraordinary. Her family or sect might not be inferior to the Five Elements Valley. So his earlier words were just casual talk to show goodwill. However, her reaction and response clearly indicated she wasn't prepared to respond with similar goodwill.
He stared at Mo Tiange for a good while before saying, "Fellow Daoist Qin, I truly can't understand. Why do you and Fellow Daoist Tian Can want to interfere in this matter? There's no benefit for you, is there?"
This was the point he couldn't figure out. He had originally thought that once they picked the Carefree Fruit, the other three would leave, making their ambush of Ling Yunhe easy. He hadn't expected these two would choose to leave the valley together.
That alone was fine—at most it meant two more witnesses when they made their move. But what was even more unexpected was that when they attacked Ling Yunhe, these two actually intervened to save him. What benefit did that bring them? They had confirmed earlier that these two didn't know Ling Yunhe before; it was just a transaction. Ordinary cultivators, encountering this situation, would stand by and watch, wouldn't they? As long as their own interests weren't involved, interfering in others' grudges really wasn't a wise thing to do. After all, Ling Yunfei had already promised to fulfill Ling Yunhe's agreement on his behalf.
Could it really be, as Qin Wei said, that they wanted to kill everyone and then split the spoils?
Thinking of this, Tian Zhiqian cautiously took a step back, preparing to deploy a formation at any moment.
Mo Tiange and Tian Can both saw this. The two exchanged a smile and each took a step forward.
"Fellow Daoists," Mo Tiange said, "I think there's no need for us to communicate about reasons anymore. We really have no common language between us."
"So, you two Fellow Daoists intend to fight?" Tian Zhiqian asked, his gaze sharp as he looked at the two.
"That depends on Fellow Daoist Yunfei," Tian Can said, tightening the bandage over the wound corroded by the black water before glancing up at Ling Yunfei leisurely. "I say, Fellow Daoist Yunfei, Fellow Daoist Qin Wei and I are both at the mid-stage of Core Formation. You're only at the early stage, and Fellow Daoist Tian is a Formation Master. Do you truly believe you can kill Fellow Daoist Qin and me?"
"Hmph!" Ling Yunfei said coldly. "Fellow Daoist Tian Can underestimates us too much. Brother Tian is indeed a Formation Master, but he's a Formation Master who can deploy formless formations. As for me—once you reach the Core Formation stage, combat is never just about cultivation level. Your cultivation may be higher than mine, but the power of my Inseparable Life and Death Swords might not be weaker than your Life-Bound Artifacts!"
"Fellow Daoist Yunfei has ambition!" Mo Tiange said, holding the Heaven-Earth Fan and lightly clapping her hands, looking at Ling Yunfei with a half-smile. "But whether it's just empty boasting remains to be seen."
"You..." Ling Yunfei felt stifled with anger again. How could he not be angry? These two, though their tone had always been calm, carried a faint, almost imperceptible mockery, lazy and seemingly not taking him seriously at all. He had been looked down upon for two hundred years. Now that he had shed his disguise, to still be looked at with such eyes—how could he endure it?
He couldn't help but raise his hand—
"Yunfei!" Tian Zhiqian only had time to shout before he saw the short sword from the Pair Flying Swords shoot toward Mo Tiange with a whistling sword sound. Without further thought, he spun his jade disk, about to deploy the Spirit-Trapping Formation.
Mo Tiange raised her eyebrows, turned her wrist, and opened the fan surface of the Heaven-Earth Fan. With a crane's cry, a crane pounced out, blocking Ling Yunfei's flying sword.
Then, as she shifted her gaze, about to continue fighting, she heard Tian Can shout and leap forward: "Fellow Daoist Qin, you can't do everything yourself. I still want my share of the spoils!"
At that moment, Tian Zhiqian pointed with his spiritual energy, the jade disk stabilized, and the Spirit-Trapping Formation was successfully deployed.
Mo Tiange, however, smiled slightly and released her spirit beast pouch just before the Spirit-Trapping Formation took effect. "Xiaofan, go!"
Xiaofan, being taken out to fight for the first time, blinked its eyes and spat out a bubble with a "gulu" sound. "Master, should I eat them?"
Mo Tiange pointed with her fan. "Eat these two if you can catch them. But don't complain if they don't taste good afterward."
"Got it!" Xiaofan happily wagged its tail, opening its mouth wide as it pounced toward Ling Yunfei and Tian Zhiqian.
Hearing the conversation between the human and the beast, and seeing Xiaofan's body covered in shimmering azure scales along with its imposing presence, Tian Zhiqian's expression changed. "A talking spirit beast!"
A spirit beast that could talk meant it possessed intelligence similar to humans. Once it had intelligence, the spirit beast's power would increase dramatically! To have such a spirit beast by one's side—what a delightful thing! How did this Qin Wei have such good fortune?
Tian Zhiqian couldn't help but feel greedy. He needed such a spirit beast too much. If he had an intelligent spirit beast, he wouldn't need to attach himself to other cultivators or endure those detestable people. Precisely because he was a Formation Master without independent combat ability, for so many years he could only stand behind Ling Yunhe, and now could only obey Ling Yunfei, whose cultivation was lower than his.
If he had such a spirit beast, everything would be different for him. He wouldn't have to submit to others or endure their ugly faces.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Ling Yunfei, revealing a fleeting expression of disgust. Looking back at Xiaofan, his expression immediately turned excited. Given the lifespan of spirit beasts, the contract between this spirit beast and that Qin Wei must only be a subordinate contract, not a master-servant bond. In that case, as long as he subdued this spirit beast and then killed Qin Wei, he could—
Watching Tian Can and Xiaofan—one human, one beast—fighting with Ling Yunfei and Tian Zhiqian, Mo Tiange sat down quite comfortably within the Spirit-Trapping Formation Tian Zhiqian had deployed, leisurely watching the show.
As she watched, Mo Tiange's expression grew increasingly surprised. She hadn't expected Tian Can's strength to be so formidable. He had clearly cultivated an extremely advanced body refinement technique; the energy throughout his body was overwhelmingly fierce, always choosing to confront Ling Yunfei head-on. His moves were ruthless, fighting as if he didn't care about his life at all. Though Ling Yunfei's Magical Treasure was powerful, he was repeatedly forced back by Tian Can, becoming more and more constrained in the end.
Meanwhile, Tian Zhiqian's attention was completely on Xiaofan. Not wanting to injure Xiaofan, he could only use formations focused on trapping. Yet Xiaofan's strength was also extraordinary. Having lived in the East Sea, where demon beasts fought by charging recklessly, it immediately threw Tian Zhiqian into disarray.
Without Tian Zhiqian's support, Ling Yunfei struggled left and right under Tian Can's attacks, quickly falling into a disadvantage.
The more they fought, the more alarmed Ling Yunfei became. He had originally thought that although he was only at the early stage of Core Formation, his true strength wasn't weaker than a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. Only now did he realize how profound Tian Can's strength was. No wonder Ling Yunhe had invited him.
"Brother Tian!" Ling Yunfei called out. At this moment, he could only rely on Tian Zhiqian for help.
Tian Zhiqian glanced at him distractedly, his expression changing dramatically as he said with some anger, "Didn't you say you could handle one person? How come when it comes down to it, you can't even win?"
Hearing this, Ling Yunfei also felt a flash of anger. However, he knew now wasn't the time to fall out with Tian Zhiqian. Swallowing his anger, he said, "Brother Tian, it's just that this person's strength is beyond expectations..."
Though annoyed in his heart, Tian Zhiqian also knew that if Ling Yunfei were defeated, he wouldn't fare well either, let alone obtain this talking spirit beast. So he quickly suppressed his anger and looked toward Ling Yunfei, preparing to provide support.
After careful observation, Tian Zhiqian was momentarily shocked.
Ling Yunfei's Pair Flying Swords were completely suppressed. No matter how he attacked, as long as it wasn't a vital spot, he couldn't injure Tian Can at all, so Tian Can chose to ignore them. Yet Ling Yunfei couldn't withstand Tian Can's attacks and could only dodge.
This Tian Can was actually so formidable! Tian Zhiqian couldn't help but glance at Mo Tiange, who was leisurely watching the show not far away.
A martial cultivator who could completely suppress Ling Yunfei, and a Qin Wei who possessed several fifth-rank spirit beasts... He suddenly felt some regret. Why had he chosen to act now? Ling Yunfei was impatient, but he wasn't. Even if the five of them traveled together until they parted ways at the Ling family, missing the opportunity would at most mean losing some resources. But now, if they couldn't kill these two, his very life might be in danger.
Thinking of this, Tian Zhiqian glared fiercely at Ling Yunfei. In the end, this kid was too impatient and his strength wasn't up to par. He couldn't even subdue one Tian Can, yet wanted to replace Ling Yunhe's position? Hmph! Rash in handling matters, dragging things out—far inferior to Ling Yunhe.