However, Mou Yuntao’s injuries were far more severe—his thighs, arms, and abdomen were all slashed with sword wounds.
While Tang Zhongming only carried a single wound along his arm.
Clearly, during these two days and nights of fierce battle, Tang Zhongming’s strength held the edge over Mou Yuntao.
"Lin Chang’sheng, I didn’t expect you’d dare come back?"
Tang Zhongming was clearly surprised when he saw Lin Chang’sheng return; he’d thought Lin Chang’sheng would have run off and hidden somewhere he’d never find him.
But to think he has come back now?
"Why wouldn’t I come back? The Heaven-Suppressing Sect sending you here is nothing but a death sentence."
Lin Chang’sheng said with disdain.
If Tang Zhongming were at his peak, maybe Lin Chang’sheng wouldn’t be his match—but now, wounded as he was, Lin Chang’sheng had every chance.
"A death sentence? I’d like to see just how tough you are!"
Tang Zhongming instantly flew into a rage, slashing his sword so that rays of Sword Aura and Sword Qi streaked directly toward Lin Chang’sheng.
Seeing Tang Zhongming’s sword energy barreling down, Lin Chang’sheng immediately summoned the Dragon God Bell, shielding himself in an instant.
Bang! Bang! Bang—
Waves of Sword Aura pounded against the Dragon God Bell, thunderous blasts erupting one after another.
Yet, no matter how domineering Tang Zhongming’s Sword Technique, he could not shatter the Dragon God Bell.
"Wait—this is a Middle Grade Celestial Immortal Treasure?"
Tang Zhongming’s heart jolted with shock.
A mere Mahayana cultivator wielding a Middle Grade Celestial Immortal Treasure?
Where did he even get it from?
"Die!"
Mou Yuntao saw Tang Zhongming attacking Lin Chang’sheng.
Immediately he swung his Long Halberd in a killing strike.
Whoosh—
A crescent-shaped Lance Aura sliced open the heavens, tearing toward Tang Zhongming.
In this state, Tang Zhongming had no strength to counterattack, forcing him to dodge aside in haste.
Shlick—
Still, Tang Zhongming was a fraction too slow, and the fierce Lance Aura slashed his waist, spraying blood in its wake.
"City Lord Mou, Lin Chang’sheng is right here. Why don’t we work together, kill him, and split the spoils?"
"I only want Lin Chang’sheng’s life—you can have every other treasure!"
Tang Zhongming tried to persuade Mou Yuntao.
If they kept butchering each other, nobody would win.
But if they teamed up against Lin Chang’sheng, both could come out ahead.
But Mou Yuntao’s eyes held no more thought for treasures—he wanted revenge for Old Wu.
"Right now, the only thing I want is your life!"
Mou Yuntao’s gaze bore into Tang Zhongming, unshakeable.
Tang Zhongming hadn’t expected to provoke such a madman.
"You really think I can’t kill you?"
Tang Zhongming spat furiously.
If he unleashed his strongest attack, he’d suffer a backlash himself, and his strength would instantly drop a Small Realm.
Unless absolutely forced, he would never use such a move.
But Mou Yuntao wouldn’t let up; Tang Zhongming couldn’t miss this chance to utterly crush Lin Chang’sheng.
He needed to eradicate Mou Yuntao first.
"Give it all you’ve got!"
Mou Yuntao replied with frosty contempt.
"Very well. You asked for it!"
Tang Zhongming bit his finger, smearing the bright crimson blood across his blade.
"Swords of the four directions, fate of the eight winds! From Nine Heavens to Ten Earths—Myriad Swords Return to the Root! Kill!"
As Tang Zhongming’s shout resounded, the land for miles around churned with wind and cloud, and high above, dark clouds gathered. From the heavens, a giant sword slowly materialized.
Rumble—
Thunder boomed around the Sword Aura, revealing the overwhelming might of that sword.
"He’s burning his own lifespan to forcefully cast an Immortal Technique only Immortals can wield!"
Gu Shan muttered under his breath.
This kind of Immortal Technique devours centuries—sometimes a thousand years—of lifespan.
"An Immortal Technique only those in the Immortal Realm can cast?"
Hearing this, Lin Chang’sheng was shaken. Even without thinking, he could tell how terrifying that attack would be.
Good thing it wasn’t aimed at him; otherwise, not even the Dragon God Bell could guarantee his survival.
"Furious Sea Overturning Heaven!"
Seeing such a devastating strike, Mou Yuntao had no thoughts of waiting for death.
He gathered every ounce of Primordial Power into his Celestial Immortal Treasure.
With a furious shout, his Long Halberd radiated dazzling light as the power of earth and sky appeared to fully converge, forging a Heaven-Overturning Divine Halberd that roared up to strike the sky-bound Giant Sword.
BOOM—
The next instant, the Celestial Thunder Giant Sword and the Heaven-Overturning Divine Halberd smashed into each other, detonating with earth-shattering explosions.
The force blew Lin Chang’sheng and Gu Shan flying, while even the mountain ranges on the ground below were utterly obliterated—such was its fearsome might.
In moments, rocks and dust whirled, debris filling the sky. Within ten miles everything was laid to waste.
When the dust finally settled, a massive crater, hundreds of feet long and wide, had been gouged out ahead.
And Mou Yuntao had vanished from sight.
Lin Chang’sheng knew, in this clash, Mou Yuntao was utterly defeated.
He must have perished in that pit below.
Yet even so, Tang Zhongming was not much better off.
After unleashing his move, his aura instantly weakened, and his Realm dropped straight from Late Stage Tribulation Crossing to Middle Stage.
Seeing his foe’s Realm fall, Lin Chang’sheng couldn’t help but sneer coldly at the corners of his mouth.
Late Stage Tribulation Crossing was a problem—but Middle Stage was now child’s play.
Twang—
Lin Chang’sheng drew out the Thunder God Bow, immediately pulling the bowstring tight as flickers of lightning flashed by, silver snakes writhing atop it.
"Die!"
Lin Chang’sheng shouted, releasing the bowstring—Thunderbolts Arrows shot straight toward Tang Zhongming.
"Overestimating yourself!"
Tang Zhongming sneered at Lin Chang’sheng erupting assault.
In his eyes, Lin Chang’sheng was only at Mahayana Middle Stage; even with his own Realm now dropped, he was still at Middle Stage Tribulation Crossing. Slaying Lin Chang’sheng was no real problem.
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Zhongming swung his sword, aiming to shatter the barrage of Thunderbolt Arrows.
Boom! Boom! Boom—
The next instant, Thunderbolt Arrows crashed against the powerful Sword Aura, most of them being destroyed instantly.
But several Arrows managed to slip past Tang Zhongming’s Sword Aura, hurtling right at him.
This caught Tang Zhongming by surprise—these Arrows could change trajectory mid-air?
No time to think, Tang Zhongming slapped out a Palm Seal, aiming to blast apart the Arrows coming at him.
Yet to his shock, those Thunderbolt Arrows were tyrannical indeed, shattering even the Palm Seals he struck forth.
Bang! Bang! Bang—
Three Thunderbolt Arrows smashed directly into him, and the raw impact threw Tang Zhongming bodily into the air.
Mid-air, Tang Zhongming coughed up blood.
"This—how is this possible?"
Tang Zhongming drove his longsword into the ground, dragging backward for a hundred meters before finally regaining his footing.
Panic seized his heart.
Why could Lin Chang’sheng—a mere Mahayana Middle Stage Cultivator—hit so hard?
Not even he could withstand such a strike!
Rumble—
Before Tang Zhongming could process it, Gu Shan’s Ancient Long Fist had already slammed into his back from behind.
Tang Zhongming tried to dodge, but he was too slow, getting blasted away again.
Tang Zhongming felt his innards tumble, his meridians seemingly heavily damaged.
Yet even so, Tang Zhongming forced himself to his feet—refusing to fall.
"No wonder the Sect Leader sent me to destroy you—you’re not as simple as you look!"
Tang Zhongming wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth, speaking slowly.
"If you were at Late Stage Tribulation Crossing, I might not be able to do a thing! But at Middle Stage, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll come out alive!"
Lin Chang’sheng strode to the crater’s edge, glanced down, and saw Mou Yuntao still breathing—not quite dead yet.
Those Late Stage Tribulation Crossing bodies really were indomitable.
If that last blow had landed on Gu Shan, he’d be dead for sure.
"You think that’s the only Immortal Realm technique I have?"
Tang Zhongming’s lips curled in a sly grin.
Gu Shan suddenly felt a bad omen rising in his heart.
The power of Immortal Techniques was overwhelming—he and Lin Chang’sheng could never stand against it.
Thank the heavens the last blow hit Mou Yuntao—if it had struck them, their deaths would’ve been certain.
As Tang Zhongming’s words fell, he began flipping through a series of Palm Seals, weaving out a ritual sign, which he spat a mouthful of blood onto.
"Heaven and Earth Divine Venerable, Five Elements answer my call—transform!"
As Tang Zhongming shouted in fury, his blood seemed to ignite from within, his entire body flushing crimson.
His fallen cultivation Realm suddenly surged—back to Late Stage Tribulation Crossing, and even showed signs of breaking into the Immortal Realm.