Spirit weapons below third grade are called low-grade spirit weapons, while fourth to sixth grade are known as mid-grade spirit weapons. Mid-grade spirit weapons enable Martial Cultivators in the Qi Cultivation realm to project their Spiritual Power outside the body, allowing for medium-range attack capabilities.
After Mad Lion donned the gloves capable of long-range attacks, Lu Yu’s situation grew increasingly perilous. Mad Lion’s speed was impressive, making it nearly impossible to hit him with the Thunderous Blast.
Only the central area of the Thunderous Blast can harm Mad Lion. The flames from the explosion have virtually no effect on him, as his Spiritual Power shield can easily resist the fire’s sear.
After evading Mad Lion’s long-range attacks a few times, Lu Yu pulled out the Thunderous Blast. Upon seeing it in Lu Yu’s hand, Mad Lion halted his attack.
Mad Lion was also a bit helpless, realizing he couldn’t catch up with Lu Yu after he used the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada technique.
Mad Lion’s strength lay in power, not speed. After Lu Yu employed the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada body technique, Mad Lion had to rely on continuous long-range attacks to force Lu Yu to stay, preventing his escape.
"I can’t catch up with you, but the Thunderous Blast is useless against me," Mad Lion calmly said.
"Indeed, it’s useless against you, but it’s useful against others," Lu Yu replied, tossing the Thunderous Blast towards Wu Ping, who was lying on the ground.
Wu Ping was injured by the Thunderous Blast, and the fire burned off the itching powder on him, freeing him from the itch. But the explosion disrupted the Qi Blood and Spiritual Power inside him.
Feigning death on the ground, he was attempting to sort out his chaotic Qi Blood and Spiritual Power when he saw a red object flying towards him. Realizing it was a Thunderous Blast, his face turned ashen, and he quickly dodged the one Lu Yu hurled.
Bang~ Mad Lion shielded his face with his arm, his Spiritual Power repelling the flames to prevent them from getting close. On the other side, a figure dashed out of the flames, engulfed in fire.
Wu Ping’s face was charred black by the fire. Patting the flames off his body, he despairingly found his second-grade spirit armor was now damaged; a few more hits and it would be completely destroyed.
Seeing Wu Ping’s sorry state, Mad Lion couldn’t help but curse internally at his "useless teammate."
According to the plan, Wu Ping was supposed to help kill Lu Yu. With him pinning Lu Yu down, Lu Yu’s speed advantage would be nullified, and Mad Lion could easily eliminate him.
However, upon his arrival, Wu Ping first uttered a heap of nonsense, then got incapacitated by Lu Yu’s trickery. Later, he was caught in an explosion, causing Mad Lion to fall into a trap. When it was time for him to help pin down Lu Yu, he lay on the ground, doing nothing, allowing Lu Yu to seize a chance to attack.
Throughout the entire process, he was dragging Mad Lion down, so much so that Mad Lion wished he could take him out before continuing the battle with Lu Yu.
"I told you not to waste time talking, should’ve acted right away!"
Mad Lion complained, charging towards Lu Yu. The swirling golden light sealed off Lu Yu’s escape route. Lu Yu remained still, having already anticipated Mad Lion’s attack direction.
Ignoring the chaos in his Qi Blood and Spiritual Power, Wu Ping charged at Lu Yu. The flames had relieved his itching, restoring his composure as he angrily attacked Lu Yu.
Lu Yu swiftly retrieved two Thunderous Blasts, one in each hand, and hurled them at the two approaching adversaries.
Mad Lion thrust a punch, projecting a golden fist phantom that pierced through the air, smashing the magma core inside the Thunderous Blast, preventing it from detonating.
Unexpectedly, after shattering one Thunderous Blast, two more followed, flying towards him. Internally, he was nearly collapsing, cursing the ancestors of Huang Lao San, who had traded with Lu Yu.
Mad Lion barely managed to channel all his Spiritual Power into his fists, summoning a massive lion phantom that nearly obscured his frame, which lunged at the incoming Thunderous Blasts.
Bang~ The explosion’s firelight and the golden lion phantom vanished simultaneously.
Blocked it! Mad Lion mentally sighed in relief; getting hit with two Thunderous Blasts would have been unbearable.
Whoosh~ The sound of something heavy slicing through the air reached Mad Lion’s ears, prompting him to reflexively punch in the direction of the noise.
Though his Spiritual Power was exhausted, Mad Lion had confidence in his strength, believing he could destroy any object with a single punch.
Bang, bang~ Two loud crashes followed in quick succession.
The first was the sound of Mad Lion’s glove colliding with the Overlord Saber, while the second was Mad Lion being blasted away by the Sky Collapse, landing on the ground with his right arm twisted and deformed. The glove on his right hand remarkably remained intact.
As the Overlord Saber sliced through the flames, it compressed the air, pushing the fire aside. Holding the glowing red Overlord Saber, Lu Yu strode out of the flames along the path cleared by compressed air.
On the other side, Wu Ping, who had just blocked an explosion, knelt on one knee, clutching a wound on his arm. Astonished, he watched Lu Yu emerge from the flames and glanced at the fallen Mad Lion on the ground, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
Faint red Qi Blood emanated from Lu Yu, as he approached Mad Lion, who lay at a safe distance to prevent any counterattack.
"What was that last move called?" Mad Lion coughed up blood, leaning against the wall and inquired of Lu Yu.
"Sky Collapse," Lu Yu replied.
"Sky Collapse, hahaha... What a fitting name for such a devastating move!" Mad Lion continued coughing blood, his right chest cavity crushed with internal organs turned to mush.
Even if Spiritual Qi could heal wounds, such grievous injuries were beyond saving. Unless Mad Lion possessed miraculous medicine or an extraordinary cultivation technique, he was doomed.
Not all creatures can survive being turned into flesh like the demons do.
"Can I still live? It’s up to fate now..." Mad Lion’s eyes dimmed, and Lu Yu felt his presence fade, turning into mere pebbles on the ground. Before Mad Lion’s existence was entirely erased, Lu Yu struck with a slash, blood splattering onto the ceiling.
The presence of the corpse returned to normal, confirming Mad Lion’s death.
Lu Yu didn’t intend to waste time speaking with Mad Lion; after invoking the Blood Burning Secret Technique and Sky Collapse, his Qi Blood was severely depleted, needing recovery time.
Walking out of the flames may have seemed imposing, but it was actually when he was at his weakest.
Turning to where Wu Ping had been, he found him vanished. Given his condition, Lu Yu could not pursue the not-so-badly-injured Wu Ping.
With such a commotion causing near demolition, with no one checking in, Lu Yu believed Wu Ping’s words about setting up an array here.
Wu Ping had escaped, yet nobody came, indicating the array hadn’t been lifted.
Lu Yu guessed Wu Ping used an array plate; otherwise, if he had the skill to set up an array unnoticed under the Divine Weapon Pavilion’s nose, he wouldn’t need to discreetly attack Lu Yu or divert people with a kitchen fire.
After searching around, Lu Yu found an array plate under his room. Through study and referencing the "Introduction to Array Dao," Lu Yu learned how to toggle the array plate and its functions.
Using Spiritual Qi to manipulate several lines within the array plate, the array enveloping Lu Yu’s residence was deactivated. Those outside then noticed the commotion here and rushed to extinguish the fire before it consumed the entire building.
"Sir, are you alright?" Someone who saw Lu Yu ran over with concern.
Lu Yu waved a hand, saying, "I’m fine, find me a new place to stay."
"Right away, I’ll arrange a new residence for you," the steward happily responded quickly to Lu Yu’s demand, pleased that he wasn’t blaming anyone, soon finding Lu Yu an empty courtyard.
Lu Yu’s dwelling was a place prepared by the Divine Weapon Pavilion in Beifeng City for its disciples. The area was vast, and the kitchen fire along with the burned residence didn’t cause much disturbance, at least not alarming other Divine Weapon Pavilion disciples residing there.
Most disciples of the Divine Weapon Pavilion practiced the Artifact Refining Technique, accidentally setting their own rooms ablaze was common.
Lu Yu moved next to an inhabited courtyard. The steward realized Lu Yu might have been attacked and had him temporarily stay near other disciples of the Divine Weapon Pavilion to avoid another situation where Lu Yu fought life and death battles unnoticed.
The neighboring courtyard was lit but silent; after a glance, Lu Yu stepped into his room to study the array plate he obtained, recovering his depleted Qi Blood and Spiritual Qi.
Reviewing the "Introduction to Array Dao," Lu Yu could confirm the array plate contained the Silent Shadow Concealment Array. Experimentally, its range was about a 30-meter diameter sphere, covering both above and below ground.
Activating the Silent Shadow Concealment Array consumed eight Spirit Stones. It could sustain up to thirty minutes of operation, only allowing those inside to perceive the surroundings within its range, as those outside could only see the illusion of what was inside, but couldn’t hear a thing.
There was actually no need for Lu Yu to deactivate the Silent Shadow Concealment Array; the Spirit Stones inside were nearly depleted. If it was left running any longer, it would have exhausted the stones, and the entire kitchen would have been reduced to ashes.
Lu Yu looked around at his melted residence and replied, "I’m fine, get me a new place to stay."
"At once, sir, I’ll arrange new accommodations for you." Seeing Lu Yu wasn’t blaming them, they hurried to make arrangements.
The residence where Lu Yu lived was part of the Divine Weapon Pavilion housing area for the disciples, which was quite expansive. It seemed that neither the kitchen fire nor the damage to Lu Yu’s lodging had caused much of a stir, fortunately not disturbing the other disciples.
Most disciples in the Divine Weapon Pavilion practiced the Artifact Refining Technique, and accidental fires in their quarters were common occurrences.
Lu Yu proceeded to the adjacent room whose lights were on, but no sound came from inside. He glanced at it for a moment before stepping into his room to further study the array plate he had acquired, working to replenish his spent Qi Blood and Spiritual Qi.