Chapter 470: Duel of Magic

After dozens of rounds, Qin Sang had generally understood the handsome youth's capabilities. His cultivation was on par with Senior Brother Rong and Miao Xinglan, but his combat experience was vastly inferior. He was even less skilled than the mediocre cultivators among the False Core stage practitioners on Star-Gazing Island.

However, he possessed numerous treasures. After deploying his talismanic treasure, he successively unleashed several dazzling magic tools, each one extraordinary and powerful, making them difficult to guard against. Combined, Qin Sang had to respond calmly. Qin Sang speculated that the handsome youth's background was unusual.

Unfortunately, the handsome youth was still too green. His magic tools couldn't translate his advantages into a decisive victory, especially since Qin Sang hadn't even used his ebony sword yet. After fighting for a while, Qin Sang found himself responding with increasing ease, even able to multitask and observe another ongoing battle.

Granny Jing was fighting two opponents simultaneously. It was then that Qin Sang realized Qingluan was more than just a mount; it possessed formidable power. It fought evenly with Yu Shantang, who wielded a magic treasure, giving no ground. Qingluan helped Granny Jing separate the two opponents, allowing Granny Jing to focus solely on Old Man Zhangxing. Yu Shantang knew Granny Jing was the primary target and didn't want to remain entangled with Qingluan. He tried to force Qingluan back to team up with Old Man Zhangxing, but he was repeatedly unsuccessful.

*Clang!*A series of loud, earth-shaking bell tolls rang out, resonating ceaselessly. A hazy purple mist billowed, occasionally forming into lightning-fast, razor-sharp blades and swords. Other times, it transformed into various ferocious beasts like dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers, all radiating monstrous ferocity. Neither the blades, swords, nor the beasts were a match for Qingluan, quickly being torn to shreds by its sharp talons and beak. The bronze bell couldn't harm Qingluan. Yu Shantang’s repeated attempts were fruitless, and he was nearly pecked several times by Qingluan. His expression could no longer remain calm; his eyes were filled with rage.

*Clang!*This particular bell toll was extraordinary, deep and resonant. The bronze bell vibrated violently. Amidst the lingering hum, it automatically lifted from above Yu Shantang's head, soared into the air, and then pressed down towards Qingluan. Endless purple qi erupted, engulfing everything. At that moment, the bronze bell resembled a towering mountain, descending with immense force, accompanied by wind and thunder. It seemed intent on directly enveloping Qingluan, suppressing, refining, and crushing it into dust.

The bronze bell itself was not larger than Qingluan's body, yet for some reason, its colossal shadow covered the sky and enveloped Qingluan below. The increasingly loud bell tolls were soul-shattering, like a mountain roar and a tsunami, producing an overwhelming might. A human-like look of solemnity appeared in Qingluan's eyes, making Qin Sang increasingly doubt whether it was a wooden sculpture or a genuine Qingluan. Qingluan was an ancient divine beast, existing only in legends, comparable to dragons and phoenixes. No matter how powerful Granny Jing was, it seemed impossible for her to find and subdue one. If it was a spirit puppet, what level of puppetry would be required to imbue a wooden sculpture with such divine presence?

Facing the imposing bronze bell, Qingluan let out a rapid cry, its will to fight growing even stronger. Without seeking aid from Granny Jing, it spread its wings wide. Its azure feathers shimmered with azure light, which gathered and deepened. The feathers appeared to be melting, erupting into azure flames. Qingluan transformed into a true divine bird reborn from fire.

*Caw!*Underneath its beautiful cry, the bell's resonance faded. Qingluan glared at the bronze bell, and azure flames surged skyward, forming a pillar of fire that shot directly towards the bell.

*Boom!*With a loud crash, the bronze bell was engulfed by the azure flames. Yet, within the azure flames, a faint purple hue was faintly discernible; the purple qi had not been extinguished and resisted the burning of the azure fire. Yu Shantang rapidly changed his hand seals, causing the bronze bell to vibrate ceaselessly. Qingluan, unwilling to be outdone, continuously released azure flames. Both human and beast exerted their full strength, falling into a stalemate. It seemed unlikely that a victor would emerge quickly. Unable to discern the outcome, Qin Sang shifted his gaze to Granny Jing.

Unexpectedly, Granny Jing and Old Man Zhangxing's magical duel was even more profound, completely ethereal, and far more challenging to comprehend. Qin Sang could still discern some intricacies in the battle between Yu Shantang and Qingluan, but between Granny Jing and Old Man Zhangxing, he could only watch the spectacle, unable to tell who had the upper hand.

The night sky, the bright moon, and the myriad stars. Beneath the illusory starry sky created by two magic treasures, Granny Jing and Old Man Zhangxing floated in the air, without a hint of mortal artifice. The moon seemed brighter than before, a silver disc hanging high. Granny Jing, like a living Guanyin, sat cross-legged in the air, eyes closed. Behind her floated the unfurled Rivers and Mountains Concealed Moon Painting, though the moon itself was no longer visible within the painting. A thousand miles of ink-dark mountains and rivers stretched out, and the sea of clouds within it actually flowed, with cloud waves forming and dissipating. The painting itself seemed to have come alive.

Old Man Zhangxing likewise did not look at Granny Jing. Both his hands were raised, truly living up to his name of "Star-Wielder," as his palms left streaks of afterimages, manipulating the galaxy. Yet, he could only pluck stars, not seize the moon. The myriad stars became pawns in Old Man Zhangxing's hands. One killing formation after another materialized, with star-light of various forms surging towards Granny Jing or the bright moon, intent on strangulation. These killing formations changed incredibly quickly, and each possessed considerable power. Old Man Zhangxing's magic treasure left Qin Sang in awe.

The starlight rushing towards the bright moon was all blocked by the moonlight. The starlight intended to strangle Granny Jing fared even worse, being entirely swallowed by the Rivers and Mountains Concealed Moon Painting. Aside from making the sea of clouds more turbulent, it seemed to cause no harm to Granny Jing.

Soon, Qin Sang made a new discovery. The stars located at the edge of the starry sky dimmed and vanished one by one, seemingly overshadowed by the moonlight. Once gone, they did not reappear. When a star disappeared, that area of space would plunge into darkness, creating a peculiar fluctuation. Within these fluctuations, there appeared to be cracks invisible to the naked eye. While Old Man Zhangxing was forming killing formations and strangling Granny Jing, he would simultaneously nudge other stars in the galaxy towards the edges to repair the spaces that had fallen into darkness. It seemed this was the only way to prevent the night sky created by the magic treasure from collapsing.

Qin Sang shifted his gaze to observe Old Man Zhangxing carefully. Under the increasingly bright moonlight, Old Man Zhangxing stared unblinkingly at the night sky, his expression extremely serious. His face seemed to be covered in a layer of perspiration, reflecting the starlight and appearing very flushed. This stood in stark contrast to Granny Jing's composed demeanor. Observing the performance of both individuals and their magic treasures, Qin Sang felt that Granny Jing was likely gaining the upper hand, though he wasn't certain his conjecture was correct.

Qin Sang couldn't continue to divide his attention, as the handsome youth's offensive suddenly intensified. The handsome youth noticed Qin Sang multitasking and felt utterly disrespected, which filled him with shame and indignation. What was even more infuriating was that he had already used every tactic at his disposal, yet he couldn't overcome an opponent whose cultivation was inferior to his own, and who even dared to be distracted in battle.

"You're asking for death!" the handsome youth cursed furiously, filled with intense hatred for Qin Sang. He unleashed the full power of his talismanic treasure without reservation. The dark light, manifested by the talismanic treasure, darted up and down, swift as lightning and leaving no trace, but in Qin Sang's eyes, it still couldn't hide. The black hammer remained unable to break through the blue mirror's blockade, not even touching the hem of Qin Sang's clothes.