Ye Qin swept his gaze across the arrogant blue-robed cultivator and the cultivators from the Lingquan Sect, weighing the strength of both sides.

There were already six Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lingquan Sect here. Although their number was three less than the Qingdan Sect cultivators, their cultivation bases were generally higher than the nine Qingdan Sect cultivators. Therefore, purely looking at cultivation strength, both sides were roughly equal, a fifty-fifty match, with neither holding an absolute advantage.

The final outcome would only be known after a fight.

What Ye Qin didn't understand was what astonishing means this Young Sect Master possessed to be so arrogant, standing his ground without initiating an attack, as if he were completely certain of wiping out these Qingdan cultivators.

Ye Qin coldly scrutinized the Young Sect Master, noticing that the man’s face was abnormally pale, almost pathologically so, completely devoid of color. A thought stirred in Ye Qin's heart: cultivators rarely fall ill; this pallor must be the result of cultivating some strange, peculiar technique. This Young Sect Master was likely so arrogant because he was confident in the unparalleled power of his cultivation method.

Thinking this, Ye Qin actually let out a cold laugh. Battles between cultivators are not decided by one or two outstanding techniques. Cultivators who possessed top-tier techniques and yet died in defeat are countless.

Qian Bojiang’s thoughts were similar to Ye Qin’s; he didn’t believe the few Lingquan Sect cultivators before them held the advantage. Moreover, he had another thought: Ye Qin's strength was formidable, possessing several incredibly potent magic artifacts. If they could quickly eliminate one opponent, the situation would rapidly shift in their favor.

If they could join forces to kill this blue-robed cultivator who claimed to be the Young Sect Master of the Lingquan Sect, along with the other five Lingquan Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could return to Lingwu City to report back to their sect elders.

“Brothers, follow me and charge!”

Qian Bojiang assessed the situation and decided to take the risk, roaring in anger. His figure flashed, and he signaled the Qingdan cultivators to release their magic artifacts and charge towards the Lingquan Sect cultivators.

Elder Du and the other five Lingquan Sect cultivators reacted with equal speed, immediately protecting the blue-robed cultivator in the center. They each tossed out their magic artifacts, forming a simple circular defensive formation, jointly blocking the Qingdan cultivators’ assault.

“Hmph, it seems you won’t weep until you see the coffin. Overestimating yourselves! This Young Sect Master will send you on your way now!”

A cold, mocking sneer curled the corner of the blue-robed cultivator's mouth. Then, without haste, he patted his storage pouch and took out a luminous blue Water Spirit Pearl. This Water Spirit Pearl was only the size of a fist, perfectly round, crystalline, and emitting a faint azure glow.

The blue-robed cultivator held this Water Spirit Pearl suspended in the air.

Within a radius of two to three hundred zhang of the swamp, Lan Linhao's water spiritual energy mist immediately began to vaporize and rise.

The blue-robed cultivator had not yet cast any spell, yet the Water Spirit Pearl was already drawing a vast amount of water spiritual energy from the swamp, gathering it near itself.

“What… what kind of magic artifact is this?”

As soon as the Water Spirit Pearl appeared, the Qingdan cultivators felt the water spiritual energy in the surrounding swamp distinctly increase, causing them to be secretly astonished, with some even crying out in disbelief.

When Ye Qin saw that Water Spirit Pearl, his eyes lit up, and an ineffable sense of stunning beauty bloomed in his heart. He had only felt such astonishment once before, when he successfully refined the Primordial Spirit artifact, the Southern Bright Fire Sword. This was absolutely an extraordinary spirit treasure, its value no less than his Primordial Spirit artifact.

“A Magic Treasure! It’s a water-element Magic Treasure! Everyone be careful, stop him from casting his spell!”

Qian Bojiang frowned, suddenly remembering something, and cried out in realization.

In the cultivation world, "Artifacts" () are common, but "Treasures" () are exceedingly rare.

As long as there is ore, a cultivator skilled in artifact refining can continuously forge magic artifacts one after another. However, Magic Treasures are treasures born naturally from heaven and earth, only obtainable by cultivators by chance, and cannot be mass-produced like magic artifacts.

Thus, every Magic Treasure is often unique, possessing miraculous effects.

Different types of Magic Treasures have different effects; some are merely adequate, while others possess astonishingly powerful effects, capable of changing the very colors of heaven and earth with terrifying might.

Although they didn't know the exact function of this water-element Magic Treasure in the hands of the Lingquan Sect Young Sect Master, any Magic Treasure was generally incomparable to ordinary magic artifacts.

Furthermore, the Young Sect Master was so arrogant, not sparing even a glance for their nine Qingdan Foundation Establishment cultivators, suggesting this Magic Treasure must be incredibly potent.

Shock flashed in Qian Bojiang’s eyes, but it was overshadowed by overwhelming elation. An uncontrollable greed flashed across his heart. If he could obtain this Magic Treasure, his strength would increase by leaps and bounds, far surpassing the benefits of completing the assassination mission.

A fierce resolve erupted in his heart, and he attacked the Lingquan Sect cultivators with reckless abandon.

When Qian Bojiang shouted this, the Qingdan cultivators instantly snapped back to awareness and lunged forward even more frantically.

The Lingquan Sect cultivators felt the pressure multiply manifold, inwardly cursing their bad luck. They themselves rarely saw the Young Sect Master take out this Water Spirit Pearl; he only used it when he intended to kill someone.

This water spirit pearl was called the Water Conch Spirit Pearl, one of the few water-element Magic Treasures owned by the Lingquan Sect. Its power was immense, its only drawback being that casting its spell was slightly slow. Before the Young Sect Master could finish the incantation, they could only grit their teeth and resist.

The blue-robed cultivator seemed to have long anticipated the shock of the Qingdan cultivators and was utterly unconcerned.

“Water Dragon Chant!” The blue-robed cultivator coldly snorted, closed his eyes, completely ignoring the battlefield, and softly recited a mid-tier water spell.

Following his chant.

The dense water spiritual energy within the swamp spanning several hundred zhang gradually began to condense. In a brief moment, it transformed into streams of small blue water dragons, several feet long, entirely composed of condensed water spiritual energy. These tiny dragons densely covered the swamp, aiming directly at the nine Qingdan cultivators.

The Qingdan cultivators, while pressing their attack, glanced around the swamp and their expressions changed in horror.

There were fully a hundred small water dragons completely surrounding them.

Water Dragon Chant was one of the mid-tier water spells. Water spells were the weakest in terms of offensive power among the five elemental spell types. A mere low-grade Fireball could severely wound a Qi Refining cultivator, but a Water Arrow could at most graze the skin.

Even a mid-tier spell like Water Dragon Chant did not possess strong offensive power. However, it had two minor side effects: a corrosive effect and a slowing effect.

A single small water dragon usually couldn't even scratch a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s protective shield. Its sole purpose was to corrode the cultivator’s protective barrier and slightly slow their movement speed. Moreover, the slowing effect was very brief; a Foundation Establishment cultivator could quickly return to normal.

Compared to other spells, the destructive power of water magic was truly limited. Therefore, Foundation Establishment cultivators usually paid no mind to attacks from water spells.

Ye Qin was startled. If there were only one or two small water dragons, he wouldn't care in the least. But the blue-robed cultivator casually conjured up as many as a hundred small water dragons—that was an entirely different concept.

This number was enough to make one’s scalp tingle and fill them with awe. More importantly, their ceaseless attacks would bring a continuous slowing effect, meaning their movement speed would be drastically and constantly reduced. This was simply a catastrophe. It was a hundred times more perverse than his Soul-Capturing Bell, which could only induce a momentary daze.

Just as the five Lingquan Sect cultivators were struggling to hold on and looked close to breaking, the blue-robed cultivator finally opened his eyes. A chilling glint shot from his pupils, and he roared in a deep, gloomy voice, “It’s time to end this! You all—taste what it’s like to be besieged by little water dragons!”

The hundred small water dragons covering the swamp enveloped the Qingdan cultivators, shooting towards them in a torrential wave.

Slap!

Slap!

The sheer number of little water dragons meant the Qingdan cultivators had absolutely no way to dodge. After being struck by a wave of more than ten little water dragons hitting their protective shields, the chilling water spiritual energy clung to their bodies, and the Qingdan cultivators’ movements immediately began to slow down.

Qian Bojiang was controlling his Golden Blade artifact to fiercely hack at an ugly-faced Lingquan Sect cultivator—he was on the verge of felling him—when he was hit by a small water dragon. His movement paused for a split second, and the control over his artifact lagged slightly.

In a battle between Foundation Establishment cultivators, even a momentary lapse could reverse the entire situation.

That ugly-faced Lingquan Sect cultivator rejoiced; he finally managed to recover his spiritual power and quickly patched the exposed gap in his defense.

Qian Bojiang had just managed to shake off the slowing effect of the little water dragons and was showing relief, intensifying his attack, but unexpectedly, with another slap, yet another small water dragon slammed into him, and his movements slowed again. Instead, he was struck by a counter-attack from the ugly-faced Lingquan cultivator.

Qian Bojiang’s face turned completely ashen purple. This stifling combat infuriated him to the point where he almost screamed aloud.

“Brothers, switch to fire-element protective shields!”

Ye Qin urged, shouting loudly.

Fire-element protective shields could dispel the chilling force of water spiritual energy, preventing the slowing effect of the little water dragons.

He had already switched to a fire-element protective shield. Although the small water dragons battered his shield until it swayed precariously, they could not affect his movements.

“Junior Brother Ye, I am a metal-element cultivator and know no fire spells. You all should flee! Save whoever you can. We can’t fight this anymore; if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die disgracefully here!” Qian Bojiang’s face was bitter.

He already regretted ever entertaining the thought of coveting that blue-robed cultivator’s Magic Treasure.

Most of the Qingdan cultivators looked pale. Fewer than four of them were capable of casting fire-element protective shields. The remaining five had either never bothered to learn the fire-element shield or simply lacked fire spiritual roots, making them unable to cast fire spells.

Qian Bojiang had no intention of sacrificing himself; he wanted to flee too. But now, it wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to flee or not; he couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

The small water dragons in the surrounding swamp were too numerous, continuously slowing him down. That Young Sect Master was simply perverse, one wave after another, and when one batch was used up, he kept casting, as if his spiritual power was inexhaustible. Flee? That was a pipe dream. Wherever he fled, the Young Sect Master could pursue him. Could a slowed Foundation Establishment cultivator outrun the unimpeded Lingquan Sect cultivators? Before they could even escape, they would be slain by the Lingquan Sect cultivators.

Ye Qin fought against one Lingquan cultivator while quickly scanning his surroundings. After the Young Sect Master's spell casting, the battle had instantly reversed completely.

It was no longer nine Qingdan cultivators besieging six Lingquan cultivators; it had completely flipped: six Lingquan cultivators were now besieging nine miserable Qingdan cultivators.

Currently, the nine Qingdan cultivators were struggling desperately to stay afloat. If it weren’t for him and the other three disciples possessing fire-element protective shields, allowing them to offer meager mutual support, their entire group of Qingdan cultivators would have collapsed long ago.

“Perhaps… it’s time to consider retreating.”

A sense of powerlessness washed over Ye Qin. Five of his fellow disciples were continuously slowed by the small water dragons, their strength drastically reduced. In moments, they would completely collapse. In such a dire situation, he couldn't reverse it through his own strength alone.

“Unless…” Ye Qin’s calm gaze suddenly swept over the Young Sect Master hiding behind the five Lingquan cultivators, and the Water Spirit Pearl in his hand.

The blue-robed cultivator held the Water Spirit Pearl, controlling the numerous small water dragons to continuously entangle the Qingdan cultivators. His face was pale to the point of being unnerving to look at, but his smile grew wider.

He had said it long ago: those mere nine Foundation Establishment cultivators were simply not enough for him to kill. They didn't believe him, and now, they were about to be annihilated.