That faint crackling sound came from his own broadsword!! Li Sha's pupils contracted violently. A primal sense of foreboding washed over him. He instinctively halted his movements, his gaze snapping downwards… "What?!" The sight nearly froze his blood and shattered his soul. He saw his blade edge riddled with jagged, tooth-like chips. Fine, spiderweb-like cracks now marred the entire surface!! CRACK… Even as terror seized him, another sharp crack echoed. He watched in paralyzed horror as a central fissure on the blade suddenly widened—and then… the broadsword snapped cleanly into two pieces!! — His top-grade magic treasure broadsword… shattered into fragments!! For a split second, Li Sha's mind went utterly blank, filled only with utter incomprehension. SWISH!! The next instant, the faint whistle of displaced air reached Li Sha's ears. His pupils contracted again with violent intensity. Pure instinct took over. He threw himself sideways in a clumsy, desperate dodge. A streak of silver sword light sliced past, grazing his ear. The thrust missed. Without hesitation, Lin Feng shifted his grip, transforming the stab into a vicious horizontal slash aimed at Li Sha's neck! "Ah!!" Li Sha screamed in terror, throwing his head back in a near-impossible contortion, barely evading the decapitating strike. Lin Feng pressed his advantage relentlessly. Seeing his opponent off-balance, he lunged forward, his sword already sweeping out in another deadly arc. Fear choked Li Sha, but he hadn't completely lost control. Even as he fell backwards, his left hand flashed across his right, producing a small, orange-colored token. Seeing the sword light bearing down, he channeled his true essence. A layer of orange radiance instantly sprang up before him—he also possessed a Spirit Light defense treasure! TCH… Yet, what happened next filled him with even greater dread. The attacking sword pierced towards the radiance, met it… hesitated for a mere fraction… and then pierced straight through!! "AAAAHHH!!!" Li Sha screamed again, panic overriding reason. He threw his right hand up defensively, directly blocking his chest. CLANG!! Now it was Lin Feng's turn to be shocked. The tip of his flying sword struck squarely against the palm of Li Sha's right hand—and met only a sharp, metallic clang. It was deflected! Seizing this sliver of opportunity, Li Sha scrambled backwards furiously, putting several meters between himself and Lin Feng. Lin Feng caught a fleeting glimpse of something clutched in Li Sha's hand. Whatever it was, it had blocked his flying sword. "It blocked my flying sword… could it be… a Spiritual Artifact?!" He had been utterly certain of a kill. The failure was jarring. For something to completely withstand the sharpness of the flying sword suggested it wasn't merely a magic treasure—it could very well be a Spiritual Artifact! While Lin Feng's mind raced with suspicion, terror and shock warred within Li Sha. Finally, comprehension dawned, laced with disbelief. He shrieked, "Spiritual Artifact!! It IS a Spiritual Artifact!! YOU have a Spiritual Artifact!!" "Hmph!" Lin Feng offered no reply, no respite. Denying his opponent even a breath, he exploded forward like an arrow from a bow, his flying sword aimed unerringly at Li Sha's heart. Li Sha dared not attempt another block. He spun away, dodging frantically. Lin Feng pursued without mercy, a relentless shadow. Li Sha was forced into a desperate dance of evasion, dodging and weaving under Lin Feng's relentless assault, reduced to utter wretchedness.
"Spiritual Artifact… Spiritual Artifact!!" Despite his ragged appearance, Li Sha's thoughts began to crystallize, clarity piercing through the initial shock. Astonishment faded, replaced by a torrent of wild, savage greed! Just like He Wenyang before him, the fear induced by the Spiritual Artifact vanished instantly. In its place roared an overpowering lust to possess it. The lure of a Spiritual Artifact was overwhelming. Especially when held by a mere Foundation Establishment, First Layer cultivator! The instinct to seize it became paramount. But how? He couldn't withstand the artifact's edge. His top-grade magic treasure was dust. Any reserve weapon would be useless against it. Victory, let alone seizing the artifact, seemed impossible under these conditions… Unless… he could unleash greater power—power capable of obliterating his opponent in one strike. So… should he use that? Li Sha dodged another lethal thrust, his mind racing at lightning speed. A path to victory formed, but the cost weighed heavily, causing a moment's hesitation. "So what if I lose a level or two of cultivation?!… To seize a Spiritual Artifact… IT'S WORTH IT!!" Decision solidified. A vicious gleam flashed in Li Sha's eyes. As he evaded Lin Feng's next lunge, his foot snapped out, not to attack, but to kick hard against the spirit light barrier still protecting Lin Feng. Using the recoil, he propelled himself backwards in a rapid, deliberate retreat. Even as he flew back, his right hand flashed. A small, fiery-red pill appeared between his fingers. Without a shred of doubt, he tossed it into his mouth and swallowed! "No!!" Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply. Seeing the pill disappear, a jolt of pure alarm shot through him. Instinct screamed danger. He abandoned pursuit immediately. Instead, his arm snapped forward, hurling the flying sword directly at the retreating figure! "ROOOOAAAARRRRGH!!!!" At that precise moment, an inhuman, bestial shriek tore from Li Sha's throat. An aura of terrifying, overwhelming power—unprecedented in its intensity—exploded from his body!! The pill Li Sha had consumed was called the 'Exploding Yuan Pill'. A rare and potent elixir usable by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Its name told its tale: it violently ignited the user's true essence, unleashing power far exceeding their current realm. Its effects were devastatingly potent. But it was a brutal, double-edged blade—a gambit where the user paid a steep price. Upon consumption, it could forcibly elevate one's strength by at least two layers. The cost? A permanent drop in cultivation level afterwards. At minimum, one layer lost. The more power unleashed, the greater the drop. In extreme cases, the user could plummet all the way back to the Qi Condensation stage. And if that happened… advancing back to Foundation Establishment became an eternal impossibility. Li Sha had acquired this single Exploding Yuan Pill long ago through sheer chance. He had guarded it jealously, never using it even in the most perilous situations. Now, cornered and desperate, yet wildly tempted by the prize of a Spiritual Artifact, he had finally unleashed this ultimate, self-destructive trump card. Originally at Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer, the pill's power now propelled Li Sha's aura into terrifying new heights. It surpassed Foundation Establishment, its sheer raw power reaching a level equivalent to the First Layer of the Golden Core Stage!! SWISH!! The flying sword shot towards him like a silver comet. Li Sha glanced up. A flicker of mockery and ferocious glee crossed his face. His body blurred—and vanished from its spot! Lin Feng couldn't track the movement at all. His target simply disappeared. Shock had barely registered when—a blur erupted before his eyes! A figure materialized right in front of him! Fast. Unbelievably, impossibly fast. Fast beyond comprehension or reflex. "DIE NOW!!!" Li Sha seemed to have teleported directly in front of Lin Feng. A vicious sneer twisted his face. His right fist, wreathed in blinding golden light like a monstrous drill, snapped forward. It slammed with apocalyptic force directly onto Lin Feng's spirit light barrier!
BOOOOOOM!!! An ear-splitting detonation shook the air. The spirit light barrier flared with agonizing brilliance—and then… shattered into nothingness!! "WHAT?!" Lin Feng's eyes widened in sheer horror. He managed only half a stumbling step backwards before Li Sha's fist, momentum unstoppable, crashed into his chest!
THUMP!!! CRUNCH… A sickening, muffled impact resonated. Lin Feng faintly heard the sickening snap of his own ribs. An overwhelming force, like a rampaging beast, tore through his body. He was flung backwards violently, hurtling through the air like a cannonball!