“A contest of Spiritual Power? Think you can outlast me?”
By now, Ming Yulou had calmed down from his initial panic.
Although he hadn’t expected Fang Ping to have silently advanced to the third level of Qi Condensation, he still had confidence in his own strength. He calmly maintained the stalemate, occasionally tossing out a taunt or two to anger Fang Ping and disrupt his rhythm.
However, Fang Ping acted as if he hadn’t heard, turning a deaf ear to his insults and provocations.
Leveraging the advantage gained from the Wind Binding Talisman, he said not a word, single-mindedly channeling his Spiritual Power into a fierce assault.
His Spiritual Power was indeed inferior to Ming Yulou’s, but he had the advantage of prior preparation. Before the fight even began, Fang Ping had already swallowed a Qi Recovery Pill bought from the Pill Cauldron Workshop.
By now, the pill had long since taken effect, slowly and continuously restoring his Spiritual Power.
Not to mention, of the Talismans Fang Ping had prepared for this battle, he had only used one so far.
He had plenty of confidence. He was simply waiting for a better opportunity.
For cultivators in the early stage of Qi Condensation, Spiritual Power was ultimately limited.
In this fierce exchange, after only a brief clash, Ming Yulou felt his own Spiritual Power beginning to run short.
His expression turning grave, Ming Yulou had no choice but to take out a Qi Recovery Pill from his Storage Bag and swallow it.
In a life-and-death struggle, even the slightest distraction would give the opponent an opening.
Fang Ping seized the instant Ming Yulou swallowed the Qi Recovery Pill, channeling his Spiritual Power to the absolute limit and intensifying his assault.
Pushed to its limits, the Tianyang Sword briefly gained the upper hand, showing signs of slowly suppressing Ming Yulou’s Chisu Sword.
“Damn it!”
Ming Yulou’s face darkened.
He hadn’t expected this former “soft persimmon” before him to have grown so strong in secret. He had even set up a trap specifically to lure him in!
It wasn’t that he and Lu Shan were naive. Rather, when they had originally chosen their target, they had clearly sensed that Fang Ping was not a decisive, ruthless person, but rather the weak and easily manipulated type.
Afterward, a little intimidation had smoothly yielded the IOU, further confirming their judgment.
It was precisely this preconceived impression that left him completely caught off guard by Fang Ping’s ruthless killing intent now.
But it was too late for regrets.
Having lost the initiative, his opponent would never give him the chance to calmly break through the Wind Binding Talisman. He could only bet that he could hold out to the end and exhaust Fang Ping first.
However, attacking was always easier than defending.
As time passed, the firmly bound Ming Yulou—despite possessing more abundant Spiritual Power than Fang Ping—was the first to show signs of running on empty.
Gritting his teeth, he retrieved from his Storage Bag his only Middle Grade basic Talisman, the Protection Talisman.
Relying on the Protection Talisman’s defense, Ming Yulou temporarily dropped his Spiritual Power shield and even withdrew a portion of the Spiritual Power controlling the Chisu Sword. He was clearly willing to pay any price to break free from the Wind Binding Talisman’s effect first.
Being passively beaten like this was truly unbearable!
“A Protection Talisman, huh?”
Fang Ping was no stranger to this kind of Talisman.
When he had previously searched for the White-Feathered Spirit Crane, Fang Ping had encountered a Demon Beast attack in the mountains. He had relied on exactly this kind of Talisman to save his life.
He wasn’t surprised that Ming Yulou possessed one as well.
He decisively took out a second Middle Grade offensive Talisman from his Storage Bag—the Lightning Light Talisman—and launched it at his opponent.
“Boom!”
A dazzling flash of lightning materialized above Ming Yulou, crashing down to his sheer terror.
Both being Middle Grade Talismans, the Lightning Light Talisman and the Protection Talisman held roughly comparable power.
Although the Protection Talisman’s shield shattered with a crisp crack under the lightning strike, it ultimately helped Ming Yulou block the vast majority of the attack. The residual force only caused him minor injuries.
At the same time, under Ming Yulou’s all-out struggle, the Wind Binding Talisman’s effect could finally no longer be maintained. It was on the verge of breaking.
“Haha, once I break through this Talisman, just wait to die!”
Ming Yulou laughed loudly, as if he could already see himself turning the tables on Fang Ping.
But at the exact moment the Wind Binding Talisman’s effect was about to fade, he saw Fang Ping take out yet another Wind Binding Talisman from his Storage Bag.
The binding effect that had just vanished slammed down upon him all over again.
Ming Yulou’s clamor and his smile instantly froze on his face!
“You’re a cultivator who just entered the third level of Qi Condensation—where did you get so many Spirit Stones to buy so many Middle Grade Talismans?”
Ming Yulou was practically frantic with rage.
“Heh, why don’t you guess?”
His opponent was anxious, but Fang Ping was not. He leisurely maintained his current assault.
He knew that at this point in the battle, he was only one final step away from securing victory.
On the other side, seeing Fang Ping produce a third Middle Grade Talisman finally pushed Ming Yulou into true despair.
While struggling to resist and buy time, he began shouting for mercy.
“Junior Brother Fang, I know I was wrong. Please, be magnanimous and spare me for the sake of our shared Sect!”
“I’m willing to offer all my Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts, and I swear never to breathe a word of this to anyone!”
“I came down the mountain this time to run an errand for an outer sect deacon. If I don’t return, that deacon will surely be furious and order a thorough investigation. You won’t escape either!” Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.
However, no matter how he alternated between pleas and threats, Fang Ping was completely unmoved.
Although this place was remote, it was ultimately not too far from the Sect.
There was no guarantee that some curious Sect cultivator wouldn’t happen to pass by, notice the commotion, and come investigate the noise.
Fang Ping didn’t want any accidents. He would rather spend a few more Spirit Stones to quickly eliminate this hidden danger!
With a quick grab, he withdrew five or six more Low Grade Talismans from his Storage Bag.
Under a barrage of spells—ice bullets, wind blades, and earth spikes—Ming Yulou’s Spiritual Power shield began to teeter on the verge of collapse.
Seeing that Fang Ping’s killing intent was absolute, a vicious glint flashed through Ming Yulou’s eyes.
He suddenly abandoned all defense, throwing all his Spiritual Power into his Chisu Sword and slashing desperately at Fang Ping.
Even if he died, he would drag Fang Ping down with him!
But how could that be possible?
Although Fang Ping had only recently advanced to the third level of Qi Condensation, they were now in the same realm. His Spiritual Power shield could not possibly be shattered by a single strike from Ming Yulou.
Not to mention, Fang Ping was not the one trapped by a Wind Binding Talisman.
Already on guard, he immediately activated the Light Body Technique, rapidly pulling away!
At the same time, the Tianyang Sword struck first, slashing into Ming Yulou before his suicidal attack could land.
A flash of blood!
The headless corpse maintained its standing posture for several seconds, then slowly toppled to the ground.
Without its master’s Spiritual Power to support it, the Chisu Sword pursuing Fang Ping could no longer maintain its attack, dropping lifelessly from the air to the ground.
The forest fell completely silent.
“I won!”
Looking at the corpse remaining on the ground, Fang Ping retrieved his Magical Artifact and allowed his somewhat agitated emotions to settle.
Although this battle had been fierce, it was still somewhat easier than the worst-case scenario he had imagined.
With the element of surprise on his side, and relying on the initiative secured by the Wind Binding Talisman, Fang Ping had literally spent a pile of Spirit Stones to cut down Ming Yulou, eliminating a major threat to his life.
His final trump card prepared for this battle—the High Grade basic Talisman, the Heavenly Fire Talisman—hadn’t even been used.
“Although few people pass through here, it still isn’t safe. This is no place to linger!”
Fang Ping quickly stepped forward, collecting the Magical Artifact and Storage Bag that Ming Yulou had dropped. Channeling his nearly depleted Spiritual Power, he set a fire to completely burn away any remaining traces, then quickly left the area.