Chapter 347: Insignificant Person

To her, whatever Shi Chun said was true; her perception of events was somewhat skewed unless he provided other instructions or explanations.

Yet, as is human nature, having taken human form and been influenced by human culture, she eventually gleaned something from the Mingshan Sect's reactions. She realized that Shi Chun might not have the final say and that danger was imminent.

Her expression shifted dramatically as she abruptly turned back to look at Shi Chun and his companions.

It was already too late; for anyone not directly involved in the clash, there was no time to intervene.

A smile played at the corner of Wu Shanshan's eye as she played her flute, observing Shi Chun's group’s drastic change in expression after being ensnared. She also scoffed at Wu Jinliang's overconfidence; a mere High Martial (Minor Attainment) cultivator dared to swing a great saber against a High Martial (Major Attainment) master wielding three unified Fifth-Grade magic treasures. It was a futile act, like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The black lotus on the ground continued to expand and collapse, as if this Fifth-Grade Spirit Venerable magic treasure was enduring immense agony.

After Shi Chun discarded the black lotus, he appeared to make no superfluous movements, merely leaning forward slightly as if in preparation. In truth, he was dedicating his entire cultivation to defending the invisible wall with full force.

He not only had to prevent it from being breached but also to use his magic to control its size. He remotely expanded the invisible wall, spreading it wider and then even wider.

Without a signal, Wu Jinliang initiated a coordinated attack, and Shi Chun, in turn, actively and fully supported Wu Jinliang's assault without needing a prompt.

Although the three god-demon-like light forms rushed forward in a concentrated, triangular formation, their attack spread was quite large. He had to instantly expand the invisible wall even further to envelop all three attacking magic treasures.

He knew that even if one of them escaped, Wu Jinliang would be dead.

The destructive power of a Fifth-Grade magic treasure is hard for ordinary people to fathom. Before the actual attack even landed, the sheer force of the air current was invisibly propelled forward.

The sheer momentum of that wave, which altered the surrounding wind direction, immediately signaled to him that these were Fifth-Grade magic treasures.

Had it been only him, it would have been more manageable. However, he was currently casting a spell, pushing against such a vast surface of force. Amidst this strenuous resistance, to protect Wu Jinliang, he desperately stretched the invisible wall even wider.

An invisible wall that, at that moment, only he could perceive.

In that instant, his face flushed, his neck corded, his eyes became bloodshot, his cheeks bulged, and a trickle of blood emerged from the corner of his mouth.

He never imagined that their opponents would immediately deploy three Fifth-Grade magic treasures against them. It was an excessive display of power, like using an ox-cleaver to slaughter a chicken.

He dared not show the slightest slack. All he could do was desperately block, his throat sweet with blood, his mouth full of it. He couldn't even voice a warning to Wu Jinliang to dodge, and even if he could, it would be too late.

At such close quarters, the rapid changes in the exchange occurred in a flash. No one had time to intervene; all onlookers could only watch helplessly.

The Mingshan Sect group was astonished, while the Jihuo Sect group watched with gleeful smiles, convinced that this formation guaranteed an effortless victory and capture.

Unbeknownst to them, Black Tiger, who had just lunged forward, was equally startled.

He had been sneering at the charging Wu Jinliang, but his smile vanished abruptly. His gaze darted around, assessing the situation.

The three treasures, forming a triangular shield around him, did not allow him to charge ahead, nor would he position himself in front of them. He had released the treasures first and was following close behind them.

As his recognized treasures, they were connected to his will, allowing him to sense both their normal and abnormal states.

Under his control, the attacking treasures suddenly felt sluggish, a sensation that sequentially emanated from all three.

He initially dismissed it as a hallucination, but his peripheral vision instantly confirmed that the three treasures’ charge had indeed slowed. There was no visible obstruction, yet he felt a distinct impediment. What was happening?

Shi Chun, his face flushed crimson, witnessed several consecutive bursts of light with his right eye.

His invisible wall was breached. With his level of cultivation, blocking the impact of three Fifth-Grade magic treasures was impossible, nor had he intended to. First, a waving spear pierced the wall, followed by a head, and then a blade made contact. Though it appeared the three broke through almost simultaneously, there was, in fact, a slight sequence to their entry.

The instant the invisible wall was breached, the immobilization substance within it reacted upon contact with the outside world, transforming instantly. The point of rupture erupted with dazzling light.

Although the light seemed to unfurl slowly, giving the impression of a gentle, less intense bloom, it still burst forth with a sudden hum.

The translucent pale blue tendrils snaked around the first blade to break through, then ensnared the woven metallic structures that formed the god-demon's body image with the light, and finally coiled around the three cushion-shaped metal objects that, though slowed, continued their advance.

Then they wrapped around Black Tiger, who had crashed in headfirst.

Several points successively erupted with brilliant light, culminating in a single, intense burst.

In Shi Chun’s vision, a vast, translucent world of pale blue tendrils unfurled, seemingly drawing the cerulean matter of the entire world inward. The sight was utterly spectacular.

He believed that from a distance, it would appear like a rising pale blue sun.

This was the first time Shi Chun had witnessed such a grand and spectacular bloom so clearly since he began using immobilization spells; he hadn't seen it this distinctly even when he immobilized the ice dragon previously.

It was profoundly shocking, but he had no leisure to appreciate it, nor could he have even if he wished.

The invisible wall, which he desperately maintained with his magic, generated a formidable backlash the instant it was breached.

Although the invisible wall was easily pierced, producing little direct backlash, and there was an ethereal buffer, the critical issue was that Shi Chun's cultivation was simply too low compared to those three Fifth-Grade magic treasures.

It can be likened to the disparity between an Earth Immortal and a High Martial realm cultivator; even a minor residual impact from an Earth Immortal would feel like a mountain crushing a High Martial realm practitioner.

Had Shi Chun released his hold in time, he would have been fine. However, he didn't, because the three treasures and Black Tiger attacked in sequence. For the immobilization spell to affect both the person and the treasures, he could not allow the invisible wall to collapse completely at once.

And Wu Jinliang had already charged forward; missing even one target would mean Wu Jinliang's death.

With Wu Jinliang’s High Martial (Minor Attainment) cultivation, he couldn’t handle any of them. Even against the weakest, Black Tiger, a High Martial (Major Attainment) expert, could swat Wu Jinliang like a fly.

Wu Jinliang had already charged into a life-or-death struggle; how could Shi Chun possibly let go?

Because he continued to push the wall with his spell, not releasing it the instant the three treasures struck, the backlash immediately transferred through the air to his body.

The force was direct and overwhelming; neither his treasured robe nor his current cultivation in Bathing Demon Arts offered any mitigation.

He was immediately thrown backward, unable to contain the blood in his mouth. It burst forth in a torrent, blood droplets like rain piercing the fierce wind, only to be buffeted back by the strong gust unleashed after the invisible wall broke, splattering many onto Shi Chun's body and face.

At this point, he had given his all. Staggering backward, unable to stop, his gaze fell upon Wu Jinliang's charging back.

He knew that both he and Wu Jinliang were gambling their lives. Typically, they had no Earth Immortal-level experts to test their abilities on; they had only ever immobilized one Earth Immortal-level ice dragon. Whether they could immobilize three Earth Immortal-level magic treasures was unknown, even to them.

The situation escalated unexpectedly into a sudden gamble for their lives, leaving no time to retreat.

At this juncture, both he and Wu Jinliang understood that in this confined struggle, only the bold would prevail. The slightest hesitation or delay would be fatal; only a desperate fight offered any chance of survival.

This was a survival lesson learned from struggling in the land of exile: sometimes life is precious, but other times, one must disregard its value to survive. It was the desperate yearning for survival of those considered as lowly as ants.

After the wall shattered, amidst the sudden, powerful gust, Wu Jinliang's furious roar was distorted. The sound of his saber cutting through the wind was not only violent but also piercing, echoing the rage in his master's cry.

Black Tiger finally realized it was no illusion: his three treasures had indeed encountered an invisible barrier. They had slowed, then inexplicably stopped. His consciousness desperately commanded them to break free, nearly snapping a nerve in his urgency, yet he could not free the treasures from their suppression.

He could see the three treasures trembling slightly, yet they seemed unable to break free, as if trapped in cocoons.

He quickly understood what was happening.

He sensed something was amiss, but it was too late to turn back. Mid-air, he already felt himself collide with something, followed by a sensation of powerful deceleration.

He was then suppressed, unable to move.

What was happening? He was greatly alarmed but reacted swiftly, immediately realizing it was connected to an immobilization talisman and recalling Shi Chun’s history with Wukang Mountain.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately cast a spell to break free.

Wu Jinliang, charging fiercely, widened his eyes. He saw divine flame aura radiating from Black Tiger’s body, realizing his opponent was breaking free from the immobilization spell. He was instantly shocked and furious. Had he still arrived too late?

But he had no choice; he had to be slightly behind. He couldn't precede his opponent into the trap Shi Chun had covertly laid, as whoever entered first would be snared. Even if he went first, he would be immobilized, and though he possessed a method of release, it was time-consuming. By the time he broke free, his life would likely be forfeit.

He already saw Black Tiger moving, and Black Tiger’s eyes had already lifted to meet his.

The obstructing wind made him feel his speed lag. His angry "Ah!" stretched out as he drew breath, his eyes seeming to bulge with blood, veins prominent on his body. If a man possessed ten parts of strength, he unleashed twelve. In this narrow path, only the brave would charge first!

Everything culminated in his furious roar.

In that moment, he sought to wrest his life from the heavens and from Black Tiger.

At this juncture, it was either his opponent's death or his own; Black Tiger's counterattack would undoubtedly aim for his life.

Before the outcome was clear, this brief span felt interminable, and images flashed through his mind.

In Zhixu City, within the land of exile, city guards had once guffawed after learning his name, Wu Jinliang, remarking that it suited him—an "insignificant person." He had merely nodded and forced a smile in response.

A woman’s image also surfaced in his mind: Duan Xiangmei, looking up at him with a hesitant smile.

He himself found it suddenly strange; at such a critical moment, why was he thinking of a woman he didn't particularly care for?

He had taken Duan Xiangmei in simply for release, and she was obedient, useful for odd jobs, and perhaps for other reasons he couldn't quite articulate.

Yet, at this moment, he understood the reason. Who genuinely cared for him and who merely feigned it — someone from his background could instinctively sense the difference. He had never encountered a woman who truly treated him well; most women from outside looked down on those from the land of exile. That woman, though ordinary, genuinely admired him.

Then his saber struck something.

He also saw Black Tiger's eyes lift, and the murderous intent in them transform into horror.

Black Tiger's slightly twitching head cracked, exploding as it was cleaved in two by a single strike.

Wu Jinliang had aimed directly at Black Tiger’s head, intending a single, fatal blow, leaving no chance of survival.

His saber, long and formidable, not only split Black Tiger’s head but also struck his lower back, as Black Tiger had lunged forward in a horizontal posture, head and hands leading, feet trailing.

The single strike cleaved through him, drawing blood.

The strike also extinguished the erupting flame aura.

Black Tiger had actually broken free from the immobilization spell’s restraints, so his entire body was cleaved to the ground by a single blow, falling amidst Wu Jinliang’s hysterical roar.

This single strike also silenced the lingering, melodious flute music, bringing the piercing sound to an abrupt halt.