The face of the cultivator in dark robes immediately darkened; his hooked nose twitched, and an aura of killing intent radiated from him. He was intensely annoyed. This green-robed cultivator before him had not only embarrassed him but had also killed a close brother from the Ancient Artifact Sect. Under no circumstances could he let this green-robed cultivator go.

Ye Qin outwardly displayed an air of nonchalance, calm and collected, yet internally, he was extremely vigilant. These four individuals—the veiled maiden from the Azure Pill Sect, the two golden-robed cultivators, and the purple-robed cultivator—none were easy opponents. Normally, he would struggle even to meet them, let alone oppose them. It was only here, in this cave trial ground, that such an encounter could unexpectedly occur.

While manipulating the Soul-Seizing Bell to suppress the Purple Blade, his hand rested on his storage pouch, ready to react at any moment. As for whether he could rescue the veiled sister disciple from the hands of the three adversaries, he felt uncertain; he could only do his best, exert his utmost effort. If he could save her, he would; if not, he would have to make a break for it. After all, he had no intention of sacrificing himself in the process.

As Ye Qin was considering countermeasures, the purple-robed cultivator could no longer restrain himself, his eyes blazing with fierce light. He slapped his storage pouch, and two more magical artifacts flew out: one was a cyan Immortal-Binding Rope, the other a small green sword. As a surging might accompanied their release, they hurtled toward Ye Qin.

Since a single Purple Blade artifact could not overcome this green-robed cultivator, he had to rely on numerical superiority. "I'd like to see what skill you possess that allowed you to take down Yu Yu!" The purple-robed cultivator’s face was savage as he formed a hand seal, controlling the three artifacts to press the attack.

Ye Qin offered no reply, his gaze cold. From his own storage pouch, he released the gleaming crimson Red Gourd and the Azure Profound Yin Sword, directing them separately to engage the Immortal-Binding Rope and the green sword. Facing this purple-robed cultivator from the Ancient Artifact Sect, he held nothing back, deploying all three of his remaining magical artifacts. To be honest, if the purple-robed cultivator had unleashed one or two more artifacts, or if those two golden-robed cultivators had joined in, he would have immediately turned and fled without hesitation. He dared to risk battling an evenly matched opponent, but he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to fight cultivators vastly superior to him in strength.

However, to Ye Qin’s relief, the purple-robed cultivator seemed to possess only these three artifacts. The two golden-robed cultivators remained motionless, their attention focused primarily on the veiled maiden, giving Ye Qin and the purple-robed cultivator only cursory glances. In their view, the threat posed by the veiled maiden far outweighed that of Ye Qin, this green-robed cultivator of unknown origin.

In an instant, six artifacts—the Soul-Seizing Bell, the Profound Yin Sword, and the Red Gourd, against the Purple Blade, the Immortal-Binding Rope, and the green sword—transformed into six streaks of multi-colored radiance, locked in fierce, unending combat in the mid-air of the cave chamber. Astonishing magical pressure saturated the entire stone room.

When the purple-robed cultivator saw that Ye Qin had countered with three artifacts of his own, showing no sign of being at a disadvantage, his face shifted, and he instantly began to regret his rashness; things were not looking good. He never would have imagined that this utterly ordinary-looking green-robed cultivator carried so many magical artifacts.

While deploying an additional artifact naturally increased offensive power, it also drastically increased the consumption of spiritual power, proportional to the number of items used. More critically, artifacts could not be used limitlessly; their deployment was severely restricted.

The outcome of a conflict between cultivators was determined by three direct factors: one, artifacts; two, spiritual power; and three, divine sense.

First were the artifacts. The grade and quantity of artifacts were equally important. Artifact grades were categorized into four tiers: Low, Mid, High, and Peak. Higher-grade artifacts naturally possessed greater power. However, cultivators at the Qi Refining stage could only barely activate the lower power of Low-grade artifacts, being utterly incapable of using Mid-grade or higher artifacts. Such High-grade artifacts could not be activated even if the Qi Refining cultivator’s entire spiritual power were drained.

Furthermore, artifacts also possessed mutual generation and restraint properties based on the Five Elements, or variations thereof. Only a very few fell outside the five elements, having no elemental affinities for restraint or synergy. The number of artifacts also determined victory or defeat. A cultivator possessing one more artifact generally held the advantage over one who possessed one fewer.

Second was spiritual power. The amount of spiritual power a cultivator infused into an artifact directly determined the artifact’s power level. The more spiritual power a cultivator possessed internally, the longer they could sustain the artifact’s use. Take the Profound Yin Sword in Ye Qin’s hand and the green sword held by the purple-robed cultivator, for example. Both were Low-grade artifacts with similar inherent power. Whichever cultivator poured more spiritual power into their sword would wield the greater force from that artifact.

Third was divine sense. Divine sense was crucial for controlling artifacts, directing their attacks, and executing minute manipulations. The strength of one’s divine sense directly determined the robustness of their control. The finer the control, the greater the utility derived from the artifact. Under normal circumstances, cultivators of the same level had comparable divine senses. A cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining possessed a slightly higher divine sense than one at the eighth layer. Every cultivator's divine sense was not infinitely drawable and also consumed energy. Simultaneously controlling multiple artifacts could lead to extreme fatigue or even damage to the Nascent Soul. However, this could sometimes be expanded through rare, specialized cultivation methods. Qi Refining cultivators typically had weaker divine senses; controlling three or four artifacts simultaneously was already extremely taxing.

This was precisely the source of the purple-robed cultivator’s frustration and suppressed anger. In terms of artifacts, the power and grade of his three artifacts were no higher than Ye Qin’s three, and the quantity was equal. In terms of spiritual power, his reserves were already more than half depleted from chasing the veiled maiden, certainly not comparable to this recently arrived Azure Pill Sect cultivator. Although his divine sense was slightly superior, the difference was marginal. The result of their renewed clash was that he gained no advantage whatsoever. He, Lei Hao, had always been proud and arrogant, enjoying unquestioned authority among the core disciples of the Ancient Artifact Sect, never taking ordinary Qi Refining disciples from other sects seriously. Yet now, at this critical moment of capturing the veiled maiden, when no mistake could be afforded, an Azure Pill Sect disciple had emerged to suppress him. This made him feel so choked with frustration that he wanted to vomit blood. He fully spurred his three artifacts: the Purple Blade flashed with a fierce light, hacking desperately at the Soul-Seizing Bell, attempting to shatter it. The green sword served as secondary support, while the Immortal-Binding Rope weaved rapidly around the periphery, seeking an opportunity to entangle Ye Qin.

How could Ye Qin allow him such ease! At first, he had been somewhat flustered, but he quickly realized that although the purple-robed cultivator’s three artifacts possessed a fierce momentum, they felt somewhat strong on the outside but weak within. He not only blocked the three artifacts but managed to push them back slightly.

Ye Qin and the purple-robed cultivator were separated by several dozen feet, their six artifacts battling fiercely in the space between them. Ye Qin hardened his resolve and pressed forward, using the sturdy Soul-Seizing Bell to pin the Purple Blade, employing a blunt artifact to counter a sharp one. The Soul-Seizing Bell and the Purple Blade produced sharp, rapid clashing sounds; despite the Purple Blade’s extreme sharpness, it could not shatter the perfectly rounded Bell.

The Profound Yin Sword engaged the green sword. The Red Gourd blocked the Immortal-Binding Rope, preventing it from approaching him. All three of his artifacts pressed forward with brute force, crossing the centerline, inch by inch, forcing their way toward the purple-robed cultivator. Although the purple-robed cultivator possessed some nimble techniques for controlling his artifacts, under Ye Qin’s sheer brute force, he could not employ them. He was forced to control his artifacts defensively; if he slackened even slightly, all three artifacts would simultaneously crash down upon him. In just a moment, the purple-robed cultivator’s spiritual power ran critically low, his face turning livid; he was close to collapse. Sustaining the three artifacts required too much spiritual power, draining it too quickly. The three artifacts closed within a few feet of the purple-robed cultivator. His expression grew increasingly panicked, reaching a state of despair. He funneled his remaining spiritual power into the artifacts, attempting to hold the line; the veins on his neck bulged, and he gasped for air, his throat thick and swollen.

The golden-robed cultivators near the purple-robed man watched helplessly as their colleague was cornered, but they cried inwardly, daring not to intervene. A far more terrifying veiled maiden was staring at the two of them with icy eyes; any lapse in their guard would invite a fatal strike from this senior sister disciple of the Azure Pill Sect.

"BOOM—!"

A deafening crash echoed.

The purple-robed cultivator, his spiritual power utterly exhausted, could no longer withstand Ye Qin’s three artifacts. The Soul-Seizing Bell slammed forcefully into his chest, collapsing his entire ribcage inward, smashing him against the hard rock wall of the cave. The purple-robed cultivator stared at his chest in disbelief, then collapsed limply onto the ground.

The two golden-robed cultivators watched the purple-robed cultivator with horror. "Senior Brother Lei... he's dead!" They exchanged looks of shock. The last shred of their complacency vanished. Daring not to linger, they simultaneously launched their artifacts at the veiled maiden and, with practiced coordination, turned to flee out of the cave chamber. Even losing their artifacts was secondary to preserving their lives; they could acquire new ones later.

The veiled maiden gathered her final reserve of spiritual power, unleashing an icy beam of light. This icy beam instantly split into two. The two artifacts hurled at her by the golden-robed cultivators, now lacking a master’s control, were directly knocked aside by the two beams of icy light. Then, the beams pivoted, giving chase to the golden-robed cultivators.

Thwack!

One of the golden-robed cultivators cried out, his back pierced. The other, hearing the scream, became even more terrified, fleeing without looking back, pouring every ounce of effort into a frantic dash toward the exit of the cave chamber.

"Don't let him escape; he'll cause endless trouble!" After striking down one golden-robed cultivator, the veiled maiden collapsed, completely drained, and whispered weakly.

Ye Qin recalled his three artifacts, glanced at the veiled maiden, and immediately activated his Winged Spirit Tool, using the Void-Shattering Flash to pursue the remaining golden-robed cultivator. He intended to eliminate every disciple of the Ancient Artifact Sect here, leaving no loose ends that might invite future trouble.

After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, he returned to the cave chamber carrying the storage bag of the golden-robed cultivator. The chamber had long since fallen silent, leaving behind four or five corpses. Additionally, six or seven Low-grade artifacts lay scattered on the ground, ignored by everyone. The veiled maiden’s delicate body was leaning weakly against the cave wall; having passed the danger, she had fallen into a deep unconsciousness. (To be continued. For future developments, please log onto www**m for more chapters, supporting the author and genuine reading!) First published