Chapter 98: Brandishing Spears in the Same Room

Ao Yun heard Qing Xu's demand and, without the slightest hesitation, readily agreed. He paid no heed to the soldiers' discontent, for in his mind, they were all men condemned to die. Though the North Sea Dragon Clan had few Xuan Immortal cultivators, losing a hundred of them would not be easy, yet to Ao Yun it was a bargain beyond compare: by allying with this great Luo powerhouse, turning enmity into alliance and reclaiming the ancestral dragon's treasures, he could achieve far more than sacrificing a few underlings. His nature was selfish and ruthless; he had already plotted against kin, so why hesitate over those beneath him?

"Second Prince, do you truly intend to fulfill this request and sever your own wings?" a soldier demanded, his fury barely contained. The others' eyes burned with resentment.

"Insolence! You are North Sea Dragon Guards sworn to understand duty. Your every action must serve the clan. Death is lighter than a feather or heavier than Mount Buzhou; your sacrifice holds value. I will report to my father and confer posthumous honors as first-class martyrs." Ao Yun's cold voice cut through them, leaving no room for doubt. Concealment was unnecessary when strength was so unequal; he could crush them without effort.

"Brothers, even an ant clings to life. Since the second prince demands our sacrifice, we fight for our own survival!" The hot-blooded soldier who had spoken first saw no escape and openly declared rebellion. He knew his own strength was no match for Ao Yun's, yet he hoped numbers and unity might offer a sliver of hope.

" Fight for life!"

" Fight for life!"

" Fight for life!"

...

Though these warriors feared not death, they were no cowards. Wrapping their bodies in horsehide for honorable burial was one thing; being bound and butchered like livestock was another. They remained loyal to their dragon king Ao Bei, obeying only because Ao Yun was his second son and the king's command had been given. Their hearts no longer aligned with Ao Yun. Now neck-bending for the blade was unthinkable.

"Hmph! Do you truly believe numbers can rival me? How laughably naive. Your rebellion will change nothing, and your families will suffer for your foolishness." A cruel, sinister smile curved Ao Yun's lips. His bright silver spear flicked, unleashing the pressure of an early-stage Taiyi Zhenxian that descended like a mountain. Heaven and earth seemed to shift; winds howled, waves crashed, and dark clouds swallowed the sky.

Taiyi Zhenxian—five energies converging to the source, attuned to heaven and earth's rhythm—possessed boundless divine might. Lifting a hand could rend the void, stepping forward split the earth, one breath could topple mountains or turn them to dust, qi could touch the heavens and clouds. Compared to Xuan Immortal, it was not merely stronger by a degree but a gulf of quality, an abyss separating them.

"Brothers, strike together! Though Taiyi Zhenxian is formidable, we outnumber him. Our momentum may yet allow us to fight!" The soldiers felt the pressure weighing upon them and faltered, a helpless dread rising. If they hesitated longer, their will would break entirely and they would be slaughtered like cattle. The leading soldier bellowed to steady them and swung his blade with everything he had. In that life-or-death moment he unleashed his peak strength, the strike carrying the force to shake mountains and rivers, the desperate momentum of breaking pots and sinking boats, cleaving downward without retreat.

If the enemy lives, then I die!

Other soldiers pressed forward with full fury—vertical slashes, horizontal cuts, diagonal blows. Some whose weapons had been dropped in fear of Qing Xu now struck with bare fists, all effort and no restraint. Their coordination was flawless; thousands of knife rings wove an intricate, mysterious array that locked Ao Yun in place.

Spear breaks the clouds, blade chills the rivers!

"The Gengjin Dragon Light Array these soldiers have formed is quite ingenious. It seems even a Taiyi Zhenxian would find it difficult to sweep them away easily."

The Gengjin Dragon Light Array was a splitting-combing technique born of the Western Gengjin White Tiger fused with the Eastern Yi Wood Green Dragon. Knife rings gathered the power of Western Gengjin to forge thousands of dragon-shaped light blades that tore and maimed. Its might was formidable, especially when wielded by a hundred Xuan Immortal cultivators at once. Ao Yun's position had become perilous; he might yet capsize in the yin river.

"Gengjin Dragon Light Array?" Ao Yun knew the technique well, for he was the North Sea Dragon King's second son. The knowledge chilled him. He immediately activated the treasure he prized most—his Tianyi Xuan Shui Shield—before the array could be completed. This artifact was no ordinary thing: refined from thousands of rare sea materials aided by Tianyi Xuan Shui and the star power drawn from a hundred tons of North Sea water. A mere drop of Tianyi Xuan Shui was considered precious, yet Ao Yun's shield enveloped his body in a vast, crystal-clear curtain of water.

"Extravagant. No wonder the son of a North Sea Dragon King is a true second-generation heir. Even if he cultivated it himself, this shield would never see the light of day in a thousand years." Qing Xu stared at the shield, eyes wide, admiration plain on his face like a rustic seeing a sky-scraping tower.

Tianyi Xuan Shui possessed unmatched toughness; few methods could overcome it. Close combat or distant dao techniques and divine arts alike found it nearly impossible to breach. It was an supreme treasure for forging defensive artifacts.

"Too late to hide now. Your Tianyi Xuan Shui Shield places you beyond reach of the array or any attack. Victory is already decided." Ao Yun's ultimate defensive treasure emerged, confidence radiating from him as he looked upon the stunned soldiers with open scorn.

The soldiers gazed at the flawless water curtain covering Ao Yun's body and felt their hope drain away. Once they had only a five- or six-in-ten chance of victory; now that treasure left them with no possibility at all.

"Perhaps neck-bending and dying early would have spared our families..." Every soldier's resolve wavered as they recalled Ao Yun's earlier suggestion.

Bang! Bang! Bang! ...

No matter their inner turmoil, the soldiers' blades struck forward without pause, slamming against Ao Yun's Tianyi Xuan Shui Shield.

Each impact sent ripples across the water curtain, flinging soldiers backward until their palms went numb. Some whose fists had replaced lost weapons now clutched broken wrists.

"It appears I truly underestimated Ao Yun. I never imagined he possessed such a treasure. This duel is meaningless now—utterly one-sided!" This was the true power of spiritual treasures. Sometimes a single powerful artifact could overturn the heavens, as when the Primordial Heaven Venerable's Hunyuan Treasure Box could instantly contain a Xuan Immortal peak within, or turn him into thick blood or slay him with a secret technique in the blink of an eye. Or Taishang's Heaven Earth Xuan Huang Treasure Tower—should Qing Xu possess it, using it at early-stage Great Luo would likely let even a Zhun Saint fail to breach his defenses.

"Not decided? Perhaps not! Ao Yun, your enemies are not only them—but me!" The cold-eyed figure who had watched silently was Ao Fei. Seeing Ao Yun seize control, he stepped forward slowly.

"Ao Fei? Hmph. Do you want to die? The younger brother will not allow you to die alone." Ao Yun was momentarily stunned, then replied with utter indifference.

Brothers clashing swords, brothers harming each other.