CHAPTER 377: CHAPTER 377: BATTLE FOR POSITION (PART 7) _1

CRACK!

Under the furious slash of Sword Qi, the earthy-yellow big mace was sent flying, tumbling back into Tian Zhiyu’s hand. Even the indestructible body of the mace now bore several sword marks of varying depths, causing a significant drop in the power of this profound-level, top-grade magic artifact.

However, the Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle, hidden within the Spirit Light, moved like a nimble fish, evading the incoming Sword Light with extreme agility, causing several rays of Sword Qi to strike empty air.

The greatest difference between profound artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts lies in the Artifact Spirit within!

Aside from certain special martial arts techniques, cultivators generally do not let their magic treasures stray too far, lest they lose control over them. In a duel between experts, any hesitation or slow reaction could lead to severe consequences! Spiritual Artifacts, however, were free from this concern. They inherently possessed gnosis. Under the control of an Artifact Spirit, even if a Spiritual Artifact was thousands of miles away from its owner, it could still change direction at will, as long as the Mana within the artifact holder could sustain it. The Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle was one such Spiritual Artifact. Even though it was over ten miles from Tian Zhiyu, it could still dodge and charge thanks to its unique characteristics.

「The next moment, a cold light flashed.」

The Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle left a thin, thread-like afterimage in mid-air, its speed barely slower than the Starfall Sword Qi.

SWISH!

The needle, as fine as a cow’s hair, pierced into the strange domain created by the Startling Swan Sword Technique, like a pin bursting a bubble. Ultimately, the domain created by the Sword Light was not truly an independent, miniature space. Its defensive power was almost non-existent! Even if it weren’t the Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle, a Spiritual Artifact with exceptional penetration, this peculiar domain would collapse immediately if its Sword Light were shattered by any other powerful offensive. The difference was, this needle-shaped magic treasure didn’t expend its power to completely disperse the Sword Light. Instead, it was like piercing an eggshell to reach the yolk within!

Shen Mo had executed the Startling Swan Sword Technique intending to evade it, but he hadn’t anticipated that this needle, as fine as a cow’s hair, would be so incredibly fast and agile.

PUFF!

PUFF!

PUFF!

In mere moments, the multiple layers of the Wall Palm that Shen Mo had deployed were all penetrated. Even for a Spiritual Artifact, breaking his Wall Palm, which had reached the Elite level, was no simple feat. At the very least, most of the needle’s power should have been consumed in the process! Yet, this thread-like Spiritual Artifact seemed specifically forged to bypass a cultivator’s defensive measures. Its unique trait allowed it to ’prick’ a minuscule, almost imperceptible gap in defensive barriers—whether from magic artifacts, magic, or martial arts—without needing to destroy them completely, thus reaching the cultivator’s physical body directly!

Fortunately, Shen Mo had the [Chanjue] Destiny to warn him. With its aid, his sense finally locked onto the exceedingly faint presence of this fine needle! The Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy, which normally coated his skin, began to flow like liquid mercury or molten iron, rapidly surging toward the point where the Spiritual Artifact needle was aiming.

Although the Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle was incredibly agile under the Artifact Spirit’s control... within such proximity, Shen Mo also had fluid control over the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy. Wherever his mind directed, the Crystal Sand Energy followed like a shadow. In the next moment of thought, the mercury-like energy ensnared the fine Spiritual Artifact. Vast quantities of Crystal Sand Energy, refined nine times to exist between the tangible and intangible—each grain barely larger than a speck of dust—continuously ground against and scoured the Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle, emitting a grating, rustling sound.

If the Crystal Sand Energy had formed a shield or armor, the Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle could have naturally pierced it with its special property. However, when innumerable grains of Crystal Sand Energy were densely packed together, the Soul Snatching Needle became mired within the energy... like a sharp blade thrust into iron sand, unable to advance an inch!

Outside the Startling Swan Domain, Tian Zhiyu, as the Ruyi Soul Snatching Needle’s master, abruptly received feedback from its Artifact Spirit. Simultaneously, his Mana consumption surged to more than ten times what it had been when the needle pierced the Sword Light and the Wall Palm.

Damn it! The Soul Snatching Needle didn’t hit him, Tian Zhiyu thought, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

In a flash of inspiration, he made a decision. He poured the majority of his remaining Mana into the Soul Snatching Needle through their imperceptible connection. As long as it could break through the current obstruction and successfully pierce Shen Mo’s skin, it could burrow into his Flesh and Blood. From there, it would travel through his Flesh and Blood, along his Chakras, straight to his heart! At that point, Shen Mo’s life or death would hang on his, Tian Zhiyu’s, every whim. Naturally, there would be no further need to conserve Mana.

BUZZ!

BUZZ BUZZ!

The Soul Snatching Needle, immobilized by the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy, suddenly began to hum and tremble violently. Even the surrounding Crystal Sand Energy that enveloped it began to vibrate from within, its Spirit Light flickering incessantly. Abruptly, this fine needle-like Spiritual Artifact erupted with an unparalleled and terrifying power, shattering the tiny crystal grains one by one.

A fierce light flashed in Shen Mo’s eyes. The Demon Slaying Sword in his hand drew a cold arc, slashing directly at the mass of Crystal Sand Energy. He was willing to risk severely damaging his Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy to slice this extremely threatening, needle-shaped Spiritual Artifact in two!

As Shen Mo swung the Demon Slaying Sword, he ceased maintaining the Startling Swan Sword Technique. The Sword Light enveloping him dispersed on its own, revealing his figure once more. What the onlookers saw was him raising his magic sword and slashing at a spot roughly three feet in front of him!

PFFT!

Just as the sword edge descended, the Ruyi Soul Snatching Needle had already broken through the multiple obstructions of the Crystal Sand Energy, transforming into a minuscule ray of light and shooting towards the sharp blade in Shen Mo’s hand.

CLANG!

DING!

Amidst a clear, metallic ring, the blade of the Demon Slaying Sword struck the fine needle one-third of the way from its tail, shearing off that section. This sword, by design, forwent many enhancement effects; its greatest characteristics were its ’resilience’ and ’sharpness’. Thus, even though the Soul Snatching Needle was a low-grade Spiritual Artifact, a small portion of its body was shorn off.

For the Artifact Spirit within a Spiritual Artifact, the artifact’s physical body is equivalent to a cultivator’s Dao Body! Suffering such grievous damage, the Soul Snatching Needle’s Artifact Spirit was in excruciating pain; Tian Zhiyu could even hear its shrill, agonizing cries echoing in his mind. Due to the Aura connection between master and artifact, Tian Zhiyu also suffered. However, magic artifacts were forged for combat. Damage and injury were inevitable. Therefore, Tian Zhiyu’s pain wasn’t as intense as if half of his own body had been severed.

Moreover, this was a rare opportunity. He gritted his teeth against the pain feedback assaulting his soul and continuously poured his remaining Mana into the Soul Snatching Needle, urging it to plunge into Shen Mo’s body.

Shen Mo had already locked onto the needle with his sense. The instant its power flared, he shifted his body, evading several vital spots. Simultaneously, his left hand, adorned with a bracelet of twelve Mountain Pearls, shot up, flinging the pearls out one by one. The Demon Slaying Sword in his other hand swung relentlessly, unleashing a torrent of terrifying Sword Light!

Unfortunately, without the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy to impede it, neither the Mountain Pearls nor the Universe Sword Qi could strike the Ruyi Soul Snatching Needle. This was especially true since the needle-like Spiritual Artifact was now mere feet away from Shen Mo.

THWIP!

The fine needle pierced Shen Mo’s incredibly resilient skin. Despite having a part of its body severed, its spiritual nature and power remained extraordinary. Immediately, it plunged into his Flesh and Blood, navigating along the Chakras within his body, heading straight for Shen Mo’s heart!