"Your Demonic Dragon royal line is known throughout the realm by the surname Jiuyou, yet you claim to be of the Xing Clan? Such a full of holes lie, and you expected this old man to believe it."
In truth, I never genuinely expected to deceive this old fellow; my primary goal was simply to buy some time! At that moment, I stealthily reached for the Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission talisman at my waist, activating its communication function!
No matter what, I had to let Yin Shuang and the others know my current predicament; perhaps they could find a way to rescue me from this crisis! Although the chance was exceedingly slim, it was the only recourse I could think of!
Simultaneously, my mind raced, frantically trying to figure out how to keep up the deception, aiming to stall for every possible moment!
"It seems you don't know much about my Demonic Dragon royal family," I continued. "The ancestor of the Demonic Dragon royal line was the Xing Sect from the ancient era. The so-called Jiuyou refers to nine significant celestial bodies in the stars: one, Riyue (the Sun); two, Yueyue (the Moon); three, Huoyue (Mars); four, Shuiyue (Mercury); five, Muyue (Jupiter); six, Jinyue (Venus); seven, Tuyue (Saturn); eight, Luohou (the Head of the Dragon, sometimes referred to as the dark star); and nine, Jidu (the Tail of the Dragon, another dark star). These nine stars are crucial in astrometry. For centuries, the Xing Sect continuously delved deeper into understanding the cosmos and unearthed the natural mysteries hidden within. They adopted the collective term for these nine stars, Jiuyou, as their surname. This is the origin of the Jiuyou Clan." As I spoke, I subconsciously glanced toward the Ice Pool.
"......" Bing Chi was clearly stunned by the deluge of grand theories I spewed out in one breath. "Does the Star King Equipment have any connection to Jiuyou?"
What I was saying wasn't entirely fabricated; it had a basis in some historical context. As for whether Jiuyou truly related to the Star King Equipment, only the heavens knew. Naturally, having finally piqued Bing Chi's interest, I wasn't about to let go easily.
One must remember that coming from the modern era, I had consumed countless Xuanhuan novels, making me highly skilled in making things up! Back in the Woma Forest, that Half-Orc Commander had been utterly bewildered by my grand tale of the Three Kingdoms-era Fox Spirit!
Repeating the old trick now, I was naturally adept at it! A string of lies flowed effortlessly: "Of course. Long ago, it was spread within my Xing Sect that whoever possessed the Jiuyou would rule the world. This Star King Equipment is a set of special gear forged by the ancestors of my Demonic Dragon royal family—the Imperial Family of the Divine Dragon Empire at that time—from star-iron that fell from beyond the heavens. It contains terrifying power capable of obliterating heaven and earth once unleashed, hence the name Star King Equipment, implying the King of Stars."
"Star King Equipment..." Bing Chi grew somewhat excited. "King of Stars. No wonder I always felt these pieces of equipment were extraordinary; the latent energy far exceeds that of the Spirit Pearls." Speaking of which, Bing Chi looked at me with renewed suspicion. "However, there seems to be a considerable gap between that and the world-destroying power you claim."
"Hahaha," I chuckled. "The power of the Star King Equipment is not something everyone can wield." While speaking, I slowly observed Bing Chi. "Moreover, what you obtained is not the complete set of Star King Equipment; how could it possibly unleash its full power?"
"The complete set of Star King Equipment." Bing Chi's expression shifted again. He stared intently at me, looking as if he wanted to split my head open and extract every secret within!
"There are three complete sets of Star King Equipment, divided into the Daoist, Warrior, and Mage professions. What you possess is the Warrior line, the Star King War Set," I said, shaking my head. "It's a pity you only have the Star King War Helm, Star King War Bracelet, Star King Waist Guard, and Star King War Boots! Five pieces—how can they unleash its full might!"
"The Star King Equipment has other pieces," Bing Chi nodded thoughtfully. "I suspected as much; it should be like that. However, I still cannot be certain if what you say is true or false." Bing Chi looked at me with ill favor. "Furthermore, I strongly suspect why you are being so forthright in telling me all this."
"Haha," I laughed lightly. "Telling you this is purely to save my life. Otherwise, you would have killed me long ago instead of patiently listening to my nonsense."
"Young man, you are indeed clever," Bing Chi conceded, though suspicion remained thick in his tone. "Regrettably, I still harbor doubts about your words."
"......" My heart immediately plummeted, feeling suspended again; this old fellow was clearly not easy to fool.
"There is one piece of equipment I possess that is not part of the Star King Set you described. If you can identify it, I will believe you." As he said this, Bing Chi's face instantly grew grim. "If you can recognize it, you will have value worth saving. Otherwise..."
He truly was an old fox. To fool him, it seemed I would have to expend a great deal of effort!
However, I had already discerned that the old fellow possessed one item that absolutely did not belong to the Star King Set!
"It seems I need to drop some real intel," I muttered. To make Bing Chi believe my words even more deeply, I boldly continued: "If I'm not mistaken, this set of golden battle armor was not obtained along with the helmet, boots, belt, and bracelets, but was crafted separately later by you to complement this set, correct?"
"........" Bing Chi was utterly dumbfounded; my words had clearly hit the nail on the head!
My words were not without basis. In Legend, the Star King Set included the helm, necklace, ring, bracelet, waist guard, and boots—I had never seen a 'Star King War Armor' piece!
It was thus easy to deduce that this golden armor set was crafted later by Bing Chi to accentuate the existing golden Star King gear!
Of course, I would never let him know the true source of my knowledge!
"It seems what you said is indeed true," Bing Chi finally relaxed. "This battle armor set was indeed crafted by me later."
"Do you believe me now?" I secretly breathed a sigh of relief!
"You are fortunate," Bing Chi stated gravely. "If you wish to live, tell me the other secrets you know!"
"Other secrets?" I was slightly taken aback!
"Since you know these secrets, you naturally know the whereabouts of the other Star King equipment," Bing Chi pressed. "And how to unleash the full power of this Star King set. If you reveal these, I can spare your life."
"Spare my life." Just as I was about to continue the charade, I felt a strange fluctuation coming from the Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission talisman at my waist—a familiar frequency indicating spatial positioning!
Could it be that Chi Ming and Chi Hao had locked onto my spatial coordinates!
This strange vibration did not escape Bing Chi's notice either!
"What is going on?" Although Bing Chi didn't know the specifics, he immediately sensed the danger. "You little brat, you tried to trick me."
Bing Chi's reaction was lightning-fast. Realizing things had gone awry, he immediately lunged toward me!
"I tricked you," I snapped. Since the deception was uncovered, there was no point in stalling further! In the very same instant, my massive body suddenly coiled, moving toward Bing Chi instead of retreating!
And the Dragon Spear in my hand flashed out like a sharp lightning bolt, cleaving straight toward Bing Chi's face!
"Audacious!" Bing Chi roared in fury, clearly surprised that I dared to attack actively!
He immediately parried with his sword, deflecting the Dragon Spear, then thrust his blade like lightning towards my vital chest area.
Hmph! I remained impassive, gritting my teeth, seemingly ignoring the sword aimed at my chest! The Dragon Spear whipped around again, still aiming for Bing Chi's vital heart area!
As the saying goes, the reckless fears the stubborn, and the stubborn fears the utterly desperate! Given my strength, defeating Bing Chi was impossible; my only recourse was to fight to the death!
An all-out, mutually destructive life-or-death struggle—perhaps that was the only way to carve out a sliver of survival!
Unexpectedly met with such madness, Bing Chi’s long sword instantly flipped, sweeping sideways to parry the vicious spear thrust, stopping it just an inch from my chest!
Not only that, but after deflecting the spear, he followed up with a stab toward my shoulder blade!
Such speed! While I knew Bing Chi was immensely powerful, his speed being this absurdly fast still surpassed my imagination! His movements were seamless, like flowing water, showing absolutely no lag or opening!
It was clearly self-defeating to engage him in a contest of swordsmanship, though that was never my intent!
The Dragon Spear recoiled, ringing sharply against the long sword!
However, an immense rebound force nearly knocked the Dragon Shadow Spear from my grip!
Such formidable strength!
My heart sank. Deciding to see it through, I used the shockwave to rapidly retreat!
The Dragon Shadow Spear spun again, and several dazzling light ribbons shot out like lightning—my long-prepared Dragon Shadows finally found an opening to strike!
Undoubtedly, the Dragon Shadows were my most proficient ultimate skill!
But I also knew that the current power of the Dragon Shadows was insufficient to defeat Bing Chi. Now, however, I had no choice! Regardless of the cost, I had to survive this encounter!
I had no idea what method Yin Shuang possessed to save me, but the fact that they had locked onto my spatial position via the Voice Transmission meant that Chi Ming or Chi Hao would appear soon!
And their appearance would certainly involve teleporting large numbers of masters using the Memory Equipment!
As long as I could hold out until their arrival, I would have a chance to save my life!
At this life-or-death juncture, my focus and willpower sharpened to an unprecedented degree! Dou Qi circulated, pushed to the limit, and a strange, unfamiliar energy flowed back from the Dragon Shadow Spear. Within it, I clearly sensed that the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit, which had been dormant for so long, seemed to have awakened!
I was utterly familiar with this sensation; several times during critical moments, this peculiar feeling allowed me to turn misfortune into fortune and escape death!
The first time I donned the Heavenly Demon Battle Armor to face the Demonic Luo Battle Dragon, and later when fighting Ao Tian—both times I performed beyond my capacity under this strange feeling!
Later, on the Demon Sealing Continent, when I encountered the Thunder Warrior Luo Wushuang, I fell into this strange state, and it guided my hand to inexplicably use the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Technique!
It could be said that only when falling into this peculiar sensation could the body unleash its utmost potential!
However, in the past, I entered this state passively, and once entered, my body seemed to lose control!
This time, however, it felt different from before! My body was still under my command, but all my reactions seemed to be a strange form of instinct!
I even felt as if the Dragon Shadows had become an extension of my very thoughts! They were my hands and feet; every thought, every intention transmitted clearly and accurately to the Shadows, allowing them to execute corresponding movements and attacks!
For a moment, I felt as if I were one of those nine Dragon Shadows—scales and claws flashing, giving long, clear cries, piercing clouds and shattering the sun, sweeping across the battlefield freely—what exhilaration!
This was the first time I experienced such a feeling, and it filled me with wild joy!
I didn't know what state I was currently in!
But one thing was certain: this was the Sword Spirit causing trouble again!
In truth, I felt both affection and resentment towards the erratically appearing Crimson Blood Sword Spirit, feeling it was as unreliable as Duan Yu's Six Meridian Divine Swords, relying purely on luck to activate!
But now, I couldn't afford to care about that!
The Dragon Shadows flew together, manifesting myriad changes; in an instant, the world seemed to shift color, and the killing intent soared!
Countless bizarre, dazzling streaks of light carved graceful, strange arcs across the sky, sweeping toward Bing Chi!
This sudden turn of events startled Bing Chi, but the battle intent in his eyes grew even more frenzied and sharp!
"Fine swordplay!" Bing Chi roared amidst the fierce combat, unleashing his sword light again, transforming into a blinding golden wall of light that erupted from his body, shielding him!
Clang! Boom!
Every Dragon Shadow that struck was violently repelled far away!
Damn it! I nearly spat blood in frustration. To be honest, my Dragon Shadows were most vulnerable against these tough, thick-skinned meat shields!
However, dealing with the Snow Domain Strongman previously had given me some experience in handling opponents of this type: relentless, continuous, frantic attacks—I would grind him down until he broke!
I refused to believe he could maintain that incredibly intense Dou Qi shield indefinitely!
Under the control of my thoughts, the nine Dragon Shadows seemed to possess their own life and consciousness!
The instant each Dragon Shadow was repelled, it altered its trajectory at an astonishing speed, then, without slowing, reversed course and slammed back into Bing Chi!
Both their speed and impact force were far greater than before!
Clearly, in addition to my own Dou Qi energy, the mysterious, bizarre power of the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit was now imbued within the Dragon Shadows!
Facing these relentless, seemingly indestructible Dragon Shadow attacks, Bing Chi became flustered, swinging his sword repeatedly to parry! But entangled by the Dragon Shadows thirty meters away, he couldn't break free to attack me!
He was grinding his teeth in frustration!
Clatter, clatter! Sounds of metal clashing rang out sharply, both the Dragon Shadows and Bing Chi moving at incredible speeds!
Bing Chi’s dazzling golden figure seemed submerged within countless bolts of lightning and streaks of rainbow light, separating and merging, weaving and crisscrossing, making it impossible to distinguish him clearly!
For a time, the nine Dragon Shadows seemed to fight Bing Chi to a standstill, even forcing continuous cries of frustration from him!
At this moment, all techniques and tactics lost their meaning; the only thing left was relying on instinct to produce the most primitive, direct, and fastest reactions!
I didn't know what sword technique Bing Chi was employing!
But that impenetrable defensive barrier of light allowed no opening for my dense Dragon Shadow assaults, offering no weak point to exploit!
However, Bing Chi, held fast by the Dragon Shadows, was equally unable to disengage immediately!
"Insolent!" Infuriated beyond measure, Bing Chi suddenly roared, and a strange sword light flared brilliantly, trapping the rapidly approaching Dragon Shadows within a very small circle of light!
Ah! This was a sword technique!
The nine small dragons writhed desperately, as if caught in an invisible shackle, unable to break free no matter how hard they struggled!
The spectacle before me stunned me greatly!
The nine small dragons writhed desperately, as if caught in an invisible shackle, unable to break free no matter how hard they struggled!
The spectacle before me stunned me greatly!
But Bing Chi took advantage of the moment the Dragon Shadows were trapped, flashing toward me like lightning! Golden flames of sword energy erupted, overwhelming the space, sealing off any avenue for me and my mount to dodge or escape!
However, I could see the only path of escape was upward into the air—perhaps this was a flaw Bing Chi intentionally left for me!
Damn it! Although I didn't know what was happening, I was certain that the moment he trapped the Dragon Shadows, Bing Chi intended to slay me right there!
With my current cultivation level, fighting him in close quarters was impossible, even with my massive mount!
This sudden turn of events gave me no time for contemplation; instinctively, I swept out a massive crescent moon slash!
Boom! Rumble! Amidst the dull roar, the silvery crescent moon was instantly pulverized by the golden fire sword energy, but the massive beast used that brief window, leaping upwards, soaring high into the sky!
In a duel between masters, the greatest mistake is to launch oneself airborne, leaving oneself without leverage! At this moment, both my mount and I were in exactly that terrible state!
Bing Chi would certainly not waste such a rare opportunity! He launched several more sword energies like lightning after the mount and me!
The massive creature roared in distress and suddenly expelled a huge sphere of sound wave!
Clash! The enormous sound wave sphere instantly slammed into the streaks of fiery sword energy.
However, it was quickly shattered by the fiery sword energy! Yet, the sword energy remained undiminished as it continued its assault!
"You retreat," in that flash of lightning and fire, I suddenly stamped hard on the creature's back!
Impact! Using the force of that stomp, my entire body sprang like a spring, launching toward even higher altitudes!
And the massive beast, propelled by my kick, slammed down toward the ground at astonishing speed!
Whoosh, whoosh!
The whistling, incoming fiery sword energies missed their mark instantly!
And the massive beast crashed heavily onto the ground!
But at this moment, I was over twenty meters high in the air and was involuntarily falling downward!
On the ground, Bing Chi stared intently at my descending silhouette, his face dark!
He was clearly certain that I was in this precarious situation, suspended in mid-air with nowhere to gain purchase!