Chapter 20: Is This Damn the 2nd Level of Qi Cultivation? _1

Inside the other three clusters of white light, Lu Xuan found two strands of the Golden Sword Technique, and a First Grade charm—a Earth Wall Charm.

Upon use, it could summon a thick, towering earth wall, roughly ten feet high, with excellent defensive capabilities.

Lu Xuan digested the Golden Sword Technique in his mind, carefully pondering the intricacies of the technique.

As his spiritual power circulated, a strand of golden light almost instantaneously appeared, darting through a massive boulder with a sharp "swish."

He felt that he had already achieved the Minor Proficiency Boundary with this sword technique; during activation, it consumed less spiritual power, was faster, and significantly more powerful.

The six mature Spirit Firefly Grass plants, along with the six clusters of white light they provided, had further enhanced Lu Xuan's combat abilities.

He even hoped Qin Ming would take longer to find him—it would be best if he came only after all the Spirit Firefly Grass had matured, or even after the Red Cloud Pine or Sword Grass ripened; Lu Xuan would gladly accept such timing.

*But deep down, he knew this was wishful thinking. His opponent, having figured out his limits and patterns of action, was bound to act swiftly.*

The night was silent; not a sound stirred.

A shadow stealthily emerged outside Lu Xuan's courtyard, not making the slightest noise.

"Damn brat, you're surprisingly slippery—hiding indoors all this time and refusing to come out."

"But do you really think staying home will keep you safe? How naive."

Qin Ming stood quietly outside the courtyard wall, his gaze resting on the black thorns adorning the blue stone walls, a hint of mockery flashing across his face.

Confident in his cultivation level being two stages above Lu Xuan, Qin Ming felt utterly secure, indulging in a cat-and-mouse mentality as he deliberately paid Lu Xuan a visit.

To his surprise, the small Loose Cultivator of the Qi Cultivation Second Layer was fairly cautious, choosing to stay holed up inside during this time, and no longer leaving his house to help others exterminate pests.

After keeping watch nearby for several days without seeing Lu Xuan venture out, Qin Ming decided to approach directly.

"A basic protective array. If it were a First Grade Array Method, it might pose a challenge. But with this level of protection, breaking through it is a simple matter."

He extended his hand toward the thin spiritual energy shield outside the courtyard; sharp ice spikes emerged, spinning ominously and letting out a low whistle as they shattered the protective formation effortlessly.

As he reached the window, Qin Ming stretched his spiritual sense into the room but detected no movement inside—the broken formation seemed to have failed to alert the inexperienced Loose Cultivator.

"What an abysmal level of spiritual awareness; he's still dead asleep. Fine by me—I'll grant you a painless death in your dreams."

*Qin Ming grumbled to himself, then summoned a half-length ice spear hovering above his head. Its white jade-like shaft emitted an icy chill, and the trembling tip of the spear radiated a sharp, deadly intent.*

The ice spear let out a faint hum before it pierced through the bed like an arrow aimed at the cultivator lying there.

"Hmm?"

After the spear penetrated the bed, Qin Ming's expression shifted, sensing that something was amiss. He approached the wooden bed cautiously; ice armor began to form around his body as he prepared to investigate.

Just as he entered the room, a strand of golden light streaked toward Qin Ming's head with alarming speed.

The Frost Armor was effortlessly pierced by the golden light, which narrowly missed directly stabbing into Qin Ming's skull.

Feeling the lethal threat of the golden light, Qin Ming's jade badge at his waist silently shattered. A layer of translucent spiritual light rapidly enveloped his body, expanding swiftly and blocking the momentum of the golden streak outside.

"You've got guts!"

*Fear flickered across Qin Ming's face as he watched the rapidly dissipating Golden Sword Technique.*

*He had taken precautions, casting Frost Armor as additional protection upon entering, yet he hadn't expected such a devastating strike from a Qi Cultivation Second Layer Spirit Plant Master.*

*A technique that had earned him countless victories in the past was now rendered pathetically ineffective!*

*Were it not for the jade badge sensing danger and protecting him in time, he might have perished under this sword technique.*

*After the fear subsided, his face twisted into an expression of heartache.*

*That jade badge—which had saved him from mortal peril—was exceedingly precious, obtained at a cost of nearly two hundred Spirit Stones.*

*He had always kept it close as a safeguard against unexpected threats. Yet now, this priceless magical artifact had been consumed by the sword technique of a mere Qi Cultivation Second Layer Loose Cultivator!*

"Impressive—your sword technique mastery far exceeds my expectations. But this is as far as you'll go."

"Wasting one of my top-tier protective artifacts—I'll make sure you regret it!"

*Eyeing the figure emerging from the shadows of a corner, Qin Ming spoke in a venomous tone.*

"I am but an ordinary Spirit Plant Master. For someone as esteemed as a cultivator of Qi Practitioner Intermediate Level, is it truly necessary to drive me to annihilation?"

Lu Xuan responded indifferently.

"Your mistake lies in exterminating so many of my larvae and profiting from the Spirit Stones that should've been mine."

"But your greatest mistake is simply being a Qi Cultivation Second Layer Loose Cultivator. Understand?"

Lu Xuan said no more and gestured toward Qin Ming with a curl of his finger.

"Hmph!"

*Being provoked by a mere Spirit Plant Master, Qin Ming's heart burned with fury. Circulating his spiritual power, he summoned dozens of ice spikes radiating bone-chilling cold, enclosing all possible escape routes for Lu Xuan.*

Lu Xuan remained expressionless, flicking his wrists to release over ten First Grade charms simultaneously.

In an instant, countless sword blades rained down like a deluge of arrows, mixed with crimson fireballs and gray-green wooden thorns.

*"All those Spirit Stones…"*

*The thought streaked across Lu Xuan's mind. This assault had nearly emptied his cache of accumulated charms—a true Spirit Stone War.*

Meanwhile, a faint silver-white blade trailed behind the onslaught of sword qi, inconspicuous amidst the chaos.

Seeing the swarm of sword qi heading his way, Qin Ming cursed inwardly. With a single palm press, a thick ice wall abruptly shot up in front of him.

*Qin Ming's expertise in Ice System Techniques ran deep—the Frost Armor could be thin enough to freeze the hair-thin larvae of Black Bud Worms, or swiftly form a robust defensive ice wall.*

Hundreds, even thousands of sword qi struck the ice wall, producing a cacophony of clanging sounds. Tiny cracks spider-webbed across its surface as the relentless assault continued, causing fragments of ice to crumble away piece by piece.

A deafening "boom" followed.

The crimson fireball collided with the weakened ice wall; ice and fire fused and erupted in a violent explosion.

A massive hole emerged in the ice wall.

A streak of silver-white sword light stealthily slipped through, aiming straight for Qin Ming's head.

"Well done!"

Qin Ming's waist emitted a sharp glint—a flying sword darted out to meet the silver blade.

At the instant the two came into contact, the silver-white blade suddenly fragmented into dozens of thin shards.

The shards, brimming with razor-sharp sword intent, swarmed Qin Ming's body in every direction as his expression twisted in horror.

A single large fragment circled behind Qin Ming, gently slicing across the back of his neck. A thin red line appeared, followed by a spray of blood.

As his head detached, Qin Ming's remaining consciousness registered fragments lodged in his limbs, his heart, and his most vital areas.

*"This… this bastard is just Qi Cultivation Second Layer?"*

*An infinite sense of regret consumed Qin Ming before his awareness plunged into eternal darkness.*