Chapter Fifty-Eight: Prolonged Battle

As the interference array activated, Li Mu’s spiritual sense was quickly reduced to only a few meters around him, and whatever he saw became indistinct. Beyond that range, everything was a blur, impossible to sense.

Amidst the engulfing mist, Wang Qi’s crazed voice echoed relentlessly, “Ah, Li Mu, lose your reason and become a mindless fool!”

A wave of spiritual force, seemingly tangible, suddenly struck toward Li Mu.

Soul-Scattering Technique.

A sinister and wicked art, devised specifically to assault the mind, capable of throwing a cultivator’s will into utter chaos, making them lose their senses in a flash and become like a simpleton.

Though Li Mu still possessed his spiritual sense and could vaguely sense the incoming technique, he could only set up a minimal defense outside his body. Once the Soul-Scattering Technique made contact, it would be nearly impossible to fend off.

Yet Li Mu remained motionless, as if he noticed nothing at all.

He lit a spirit lamp.

An ancient spirit lamp.

A gentle light rose softly, forming a halo several meters wide, enveloping Li Mu within.

He had come prepared for this fight—dozens of spirit crystals had already been placed inside the lamp.

The ancient lamp’s spell, the Illusion Circle, shone with a soft, watery glow, like a massive droplet of flame: illusory yet beautiful, suffused with a gentle, nourishing energy that quickly spread out.

Against the Soul-Scattering Technique, the transparent Illusion Circle was like a thick wall of light; the wicked art lost its effect and dissipated harmlessly.

Wang Qi was stunned.

“What is that? What kind of treasure is this? My Soul-Scattering Technique can’t usually be resisted by ordinary treasures!”

He was right—spiritual attacks were unpredictable, and most artifacts could not withstand them. Even Li Mu’s armor just now had been vulnerable, easily struck by the Soul-Scattering Technique.

But he could not have imagined that Li Mu would have such an artifact, perfectly countering the spiritual assault.

“I don’t believe it. One more round!”

Wang Qi’s face twisted with ferocity as he bellowed, “Soul-Hooking Technique!”

The Soul-Hooking Technique was even more vicious than the Soul-Scattering Technique, a fundamental art for any demonic cultivator. It could seize an opponent’s soul, leaving only a hollow shell. Wang Qi had relied on this technique to capture the souls of others for his cultivation.

Li Mu felt a faint tremor in his heart.

The Soul-Hooking Technique was infamous. Many cultivators had lost their souls and their lives to it—even those in the Core Formation stage, or higher, were not immune.

Unpredictable as a pulse of sound, the spell struck the Illusion Circle with a thud.

The gentle light seemed to shudder as if battered by wind and waves, shrinking inward and nearly flickering out. Li Mu could feel the Soul-Hooking Technique almost breaking through to him, and his heart raced with alarm.

But in the next instant, the gentle light flared again, returning to its former brightness.

He had withstood the attack.

Wang Qi’s face turned ashen. He had not expected this; his hidden trump card was so easily nullified by Li Mu.

“How can this be?”

He could only stare at Li Mu, trembling with anger and disbelief.

His cultivation was low, and he was not truly adept with demonic arts, nor did he have the proper supporting techniques. Breaking through the Illusion Circle’s defense was clearly beyond his ability.

“You dare use such evil arts here, unafraid of being discovered?”

Li Mu’s voice sounded calm from within the gentle light.

Wang Qi sneered, “Discovered? If anyone could notice, they would have come already. Don’t worry, you’ll be destroyed soon enough.”

“So, it can’t be discovered. That’s good,” Li Mu replied flatly.

“What do you mean?” Wang Qi was momentarily confused—why did Li Mu say that? If it couldn’t be discovered, wasn’t that bad for him?

Li Mu’s expression turned cold as he gripped the Fire Gourd.

“Blood-Draining Technique.”

When Wang Qi unleashed the Soul-Hooking Technique, the fierce fluctuations had allowed Li Mu to sense his position and pick out a target. He had also noticed Wang Qi’s trembling hand.

If not now, then when?

Li Mu suddenly unleashed the third technique of the Fire Gourd—the Blood-Draining Technique.

Wang Qi had no time to defend; even if he could, he would never have expected Li Mu to possess a demonic art.

In an instant, the Blood-Draining Technique touched Wang Qi’s hand. Immediately, all blood vanished from the hand hidden inside his sleeve. What was once a normal hand now shriveled to skin and bone, like a withered claw.

“You—how can it be—you’re a demonic cultivator too?”

Wang Qi staggered back several steps, retreating into the mist. He was terrified to the point of panic, mouth agape as if he could swallow a chicken whole. He didn’t recognize the technique, but for someone to drain another’s blood without inflicting a wound—only a demonic cultivator could do such a thing.

Li Mu smiled. “I am no demonic cultivator.”

Seeing the Fire Gourd, Wang Qi suddenly understood, “That gourd of yours has three techniques? But it’s only a first-grade treasure—how can that be? Just how many secrets do you have? And all those pills—did you make them yourself?”

“Who can say?” Li Mu barely responded, retreating several meters and remaining alert to his surroundings.

On the platform, the other cultivators could only see the two struggling; they couldn’t hear anything, nor did they know what spells were being used. All they saw was Li Mu wielding a spirit lamp, then pointing the gourd at Wang Qi, who promptly retreated in fear.

“What happened? The battle seems to have turned around!”

“What is that spirit lamp? It seems to suppress Wang Qi. And the gourd isn’t spitting fire—could there be some ingenious secret?”

The audience of cultivators exclaimed in admiration. Though this was only a contest between Foundation Establishment disciples, the intensity was already comparable to a higher-stage duel.

Lady Wang watched Li Mu, her expression shifting from joy to surprise—Li Mu had reversed the situation, so different from what she’d expected. She had foreseen much, but could it be that something truly unexpected would occur today? The match was certainly unsettling.

“If you have any trump cards, use them all—even your ultimate moves.”

Knowing the Illusion Circle could block spiritual attacks, Li Mu’s mind grew calmer, the earlier sense of danger subsiding.

“Li Mu, do you want to know what happened to Shen Bingxue? She’s going to die. I tell you, after I’m done here, I’ll turn her into a mindless fool, to toy with as I please. What a pity, such a proud woman, reduced to a simpleton, a slave…”

Wang Qi, having steadied his nerves, realized he had no way to deal with Li Mu and resorted to verbal provocation.

“I can end you right now,” Li Mu replied, unmoved, brandishing the Fire Gourd and waving it through the mist.

Wang Qi, frightened by the gourd, was gripped by terror—he feared the Blood-Draining Technique would strike him again, so all he could do was keep running.

But Li Mu did not use the Blood-Draining Technique; instead, he unleashed a fine purple flame, thin as silk, weaving and undulating through the mist. Though he directed it casually, Wang Qi dared not stop, fleeing in panic.

Pressed to the limit, Wang Qi lashed out with a Thunder Explosion spell, but Li Mu dodged easily with his Wind-Striding Boots.

Now, Li Mu’s deep reserves of true energy became apparent. After a short while, Wang Qi began to falter.

He had been the one attacking relentlessly, expending far more energy than Li Mu. Though his cultivation was two levels higher, at this rate, he would soon be exhausted.