The Violet Sun Sword flew backward, its purple-gold radiance somewhat dim, and cracks had appeared on its blade, yet it remained as sharp as ever.
"So what if you're at the fourth layer of the Condensation Stage? Without a powerful artifact, killing you isn't difficult. Even with the Fire Serpent spell, if you haven't reached the fifth layer of the Condensation Stage, I wonder how many times you can cast it."
Although Lu Hong's heart ached for his flying sword, on the surface, he still let out a long laugh, advancing instead of retreating.
"Even if your flying swords are sharp, they have their limits. Let's see how many more you can chop through. Flying swords... I have a ton of them! As for the fifth layer of the Condensation Stage, with the medicinal pills that Senior Sister Xu often provides, I will eventually reach it."
Meng Hao's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was very nervous. This battle was truly his first real fight using cultivation techniques against someone. At this moment, his body remained resolutely still, and his right hand slapped his storage bag again. Immediately, three streaks of sword light flew out, three flying swords appearing and stabbing straight towards Lu Hong.
Lu Hong's expression instantly turned ugly, but he had no time to think. He let out a low roar, and immediately, Meng Hao's three flying swords collided with the Violet Sun Sword.
Bang, bang, bang! The three flying swords shattered completely, but the Violet Sun Sword's purple light had dissipated by more than half, and the cracks on its surface multiplied. Lu Hong watched, his heart aching to the extreme.
But before he could make a move, Meng Hao slapped his storage bag again, his expression unchanged, and three more flying swords roared out. He waved his hand, and a Fire Serpent condensed once more, charging forward. This scene fell into the eyes of everyone around, and immediately, a crowd of people felt their minds shaken.
"This Meng Hao... he actually... he actually made Senior Brother Lu so hard-pressed! He's only at the fourth layer of the Condensation Stage!"
"How long has he been in the sect, and he's already reached the fourth layer of the Condensation Stage! He must be at the fourth layer; otherwise, he absolutely couldn't have made Senior Brother Lu like this. But how did he cultivate so quickly? What benefits did Senior Sister Xu give him, after all? Damn it, if I had such backing, I could also cultivate this quickly."
Everyone immediately burst into an uproar, all revealing expressions of disbelief and intense jealousy.
Lu Hong's face was now completely panicked. He immediately retreated, gritting his teeth, chanting an incantation, and waving his hand. A Water Orb appeared again. He had never expected his opponent to possess so many magic treasures.
A resounding explosion echoed. Meng Hao's three flying swords shattered, the Fire Serpent also vanished, and the Violet Sun Sword's radiance had dimmed to its extreme. But what truly terrified Lu Hong was this: Meng Hao stood there, his expression unchanged, and actually took out three more flying swords. A bursting sound shook the surroundings. Although these three flying swords shattered, the Violet Sun Sword also let out a muffled groan, then broke into countless pieces.
Lu Hong's eyes seemed as if they would split open. He staggered backward, opened his mouth and spat out fresh blood, staring fixedly at Meng Hao.
Meng Hao's face appeared unchanged, but in reality, his heart ached terribly. Each flying sword was a spirit stone! At this moment, his right hand waved, deploying the Fire Serpent spell. The Fire Serpent roared, coiling around him, then shot straight from Meng Hao towards Lu Hong.
His figure was like a rainbow, instantly closing in behind Lu Hong. Along with the roaring Fire Serpent, another flying sword appeared in Meng Hao's hand. Its sword light carried killing intent, and in a flash, it arrived within ten feet of Lu Hong.
"You forced my hand!"
Lu Hong's hair was disheveled, and his clothes were stained with fresh blood. Since joining the sect, he had never been in such a desperate state as he was today. At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot. He let out a low growl, tore open his clothes, revealing a jade gourd hanging around his neck. Disregarding his own spiritual energy, he furiously channeled all of it into the jade gourd.
Instantly, the verdant gourd emitted a dazzling, piercing light and a buzzing sound. Finally, an ethereal, several-times-larger phantom of the gourd, taller than half a man, appeared in the air before Lu Hong.
But it was clear that Lu Hong's cultivation was insufficient to fully activate this gourd. The phantom seemed as if it could vanish at any moment. Before it could fully materialize, Lu Hong spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, stumbled backward, his face utterly pale, but his eyes grew even more frenzied, revealing intense killing intent.
Although the gourd hadn't fully materialized, the spiritual pressure it contained caused Meng Hao's expression to suddenly change. At that very moment, the illusory gourd instantly let out a tremendous roar. A powerful shockwave burst forth from its mouth, transforming into a green light that directly shattered the Fire Serpent and instantly enveloped Meng Hao's body.
"This is a magic treasure Senior Brother Wang Tengfei gave me. I was originally only supposed to be able to use it at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. Meng Hao, if you want to die, you've forced me to pay a heavy price, activating this treasure before reaching the fourth level. Now, you are definitely going to die!"
Lu Hong let out a desolate laugh, but before his laughter could fully escape, his entire body instantly stiffened as if struck by lightning, frozen in place.
The green light slammed directly into Meng Hao's body, sending him staggering back more than ten zhang. But in the end, his body was enveloped by a layer of faint pink light, which blocked the attack. When the green light dissipated, the pink aura also vanished, transforming into a pale pink jade pendant in Meng Hao's hand. A crack had appeared on the surface of the jade pendant.
Clenching the jade pendant, Meng Hao secretly broke out in a cold sweat, his heart still pounding with lingering fear. If he hadn't immediately taken out the jade pendant that Senior Sister Xu had given him, he would surely have died under the terrifying power of that gourd.
"What kind of magic treasure is that?!"
Meng Hao suddenly looked at the jade gourd around Lu Hong's neck. He instantly leaped towards the heavily injured and exhausted Lu Hong, grabbed the jade gourd, pulled it off, glanced behind him, and directly put it into his storage bag.
"That's a magic treasure Senior Brother Wang Tengfei gave me! If you dare to steal it, you'll face Senior Brother Wang's wrath!"
Lu Hong's voice grew faint, his body trembling, his heart filled with extreme terror. He couldn't have imagined that even this gourd was powerless against his opponent.
"The sect rules state that what you seize with your own hands is yours."
Meng Hao hesitated for a moment, but that gourd was too powerful, and he was unwilling to give it up. Besides, an enmity had already been formed that would be difficult to resolve. His heart hardened, a fierce resolve in his eyes as he coldly stared at Lu Hong.
"This isn't a high-level public area! If you dare to kill me, you'll be violating sect rules!"
Despair and intense fear appeared in Lu Hong's eyes. He immediately cried out in a hoarse voice, wanting everyone nearby to hear clearly.
"Sect rules, I, Meng, will not violate. But yesterday, you wanted to cripple my cultivation. Today, I will cripple yours."
With a calm expression, Meng Hao swept his right hand, and his flying sword instantly pierced Lu Hong's dantian, destroying his meridians and crippling his cultivation base. Amidst Lu Hong's screams of agony, Meng Hao's figure stood there, striking terror into all of Pingding Mountain.