One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Yuan Tao's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Lu Jin to attack so suddenly, and with such a terrifying area-of-effect attack! He dared not be careless. He roared and flicked his wrist, sending the nine beads he was holding flying out of his hand at the same time!

"Nine Dragon Sons - Defense Barrier!"

Nine beads of different colors spun rapidly in the air, their energy intertwined, instantly forming a translucent light shield with flowing light and hidden runes, blocking the torrent of talismans!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The torrent of talismans slammed into the light shield, unleashing a deafening roar! The light shield vibrated and rippled violently, its surface shimmering with talismans that creaked and groaned, clearly under immense pressure. Veins bulged on Yuan Tao's forehead, indicating that maintaining the defense of the "Nine Dragon Sons" was also taking a toll.

"You idiot! What are you standing there for?! Help me!" Yuan Tao shouted urgently.

The dim-witted simpleton let out an "Oh," as if he had just realized what was happening. He slowly reached into the large cloth bag on his back, rummaged around for a few moments, and then pulled out a... huge, rusty-looking, yet incredibly heavy octagonal copper hammer!

He lifted the bronze hammer, which looked to weigh at least several hundred pounds, with one hand, mumbled something under his breath, and then swung it down with a fierce gust of wind, smashing it down on Lu Jin, who was fully activating the talisman! The force of the blow seemed capable of shattering even mountains!

Zhang Lingyu had been on guard, and seeing Han Dan'er make his move, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he shouted, "Yin Five Thunders - Northern Azure Pool - Python Binding!"

The black, murky water flowing beneath his feet suddenly erupted! The viscous black water, like a giant, living python, snaked out with lightning speed, precisely wrapping around the handle of the copper hammer that Han Dan'er was slamming down! The chilling, stagnation, and corrosive power contained within the black water spread wildly, actually slowing down the powerful downward momentum of the copper hammer!

At the same time, Zhang Lingyu's figure swayed, his white clothes fluttering, and he actually pounced on Xia He, who was standing on the side and watching him with a playful look! He chose Xia He as his opponent, whether it was because Xia He's ability had the greatest impact on the mind and needed to be dealt with first, or... there were some reasons that could not be told to outsiders.

Seeing Zhang Lingyu rushing towards her, Xia He wasn't flustered at all. Instead, she giggled sweetly, her voice soft and seductive, as if possessing a bewitching magic: "Little Taoist~ Are you in such a hurry to play with your older sister? It seems you've been thinking about her all along~"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingyu's expression suddenly darkened, a barely perceptible hint of anger and embarrassment flashing in his eyes. His attack became even more ferocious, the Yin Five Thunder transforming into streaks of black whip shadows that enveloped Xia He's vital points.

Nie Lingfeng ignored the entanglement between Zhang Lingyu and Xia He. His gaze was fixed on the most obvious threat in the arena—Yuan Tao, who controlled the "Nine Dragons," and that strong, simple-minded man wielding a heavy hammer.

The Snow Drinking Blade was drawn silently.

"Zheng—!"

A clear, resonant sound of a blade echoed across the platform, and a chilling, bone-deep cold suddenly spread as the blade appeared! A layer of white frost instantly formed on the bluestone slabs of the platform, and the temperature in the air plummeted!

"The Six Secrets of Frostbite: A Glimpse of Startling Cold!"

Without gathering momentum or uttering any nonsense, Nie Lingfeng launched a swift and ruthless strike! The blade light was like the clear radiance of the cold moon, or like lightning flashing in the dark night. Its trajectory was straight, its speed terrifying, carrying the chilling coldness that could freeze the soul and the sharpness that could cut through everything, directly slashing towards the radiant "Nine Dragon Sons" light shield in front of Yuan Tao!

"What?!" Yuan Tao's pupils shrank sharply. He clearly felt the terrifying sword intent and extreme cold power contained in this strike, far exceeding the pressure he felt from Lu Jin's torrent of talismans! He let out a strange cry and frantically activated his true qi, trying to strengthen the light shield's defense.

However, it was too late!

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

A series of crisp cracking sounds rang out! Before that stunningly cold blade aura, the light shield constructed by the "Nine Dragon Sons" was like glass struck by a heavy hammer, instantly showing several clear cracks! Among them, the three beads located directly in front of the blade aura (Qiuniu, Yazi, and Chaofeng) dimmed in luster, and their surfaces showed minor damage, greatly diminishing their spiritual power!

"My beads!!!" Yuan Tao was so heartbroken that he almost vomited blood. These "Nine Dragon Sons" were magical treasures that he had spent countless efforts to refine, and each one was extremely precious!

Just as Han Dan'er had escaped the entanglement of Zhang Lingyu's Water-Dirty Thunder, he roared in anger upon seeing this (it was rare for him to show emotion), and swung his heavy octagonal copper hammer, bringing a howling wind with it, and smashed it hard towards Nie Lingfeng's back! This hammer blow was powerful and heavy, enough to split mountains and shatter rocks!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Nie Lingfeng didn't even turn around. Just as the copper hammer was about to hit him, he slightly turned his body and swung the Snow Drinking Blade behind him!

"The Six Secrets of Braving the Cold: Ice Three Feet Deep!"

The swordplay is no longer about pursuing ultimate speed, but has transformed into a solemn, frigid, and all-encompassing meaning! Where the blade passes, the cold air condenses like a tangible ice river!

"clang--!!!"

A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out! The sharp blade of the Snow Drinking Blade collided violently with the heavy bronze hammer!

There was no stalemate.

Before Han Dan'er's incredulous, stunned gaze, his octagonal copper hammer, forged from a special metal and incredibly sturdy, was cleaved in two by the Snow Drinking Blade as easily as a hot knife through butter! The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror and covered with a layer of glistening frost!

The simpleton stared blankly at the hammer handle, now only half intact, seemingly not understanding what had happened. Nie Lingfeng had already spun around, delivering a seemingly casual yet powerful side kick that slammed into his chest!

"Bang!"

The massive body of the simpleton was sent flying backward like a cannonball after being hit by a battering ram. He crashed into two pine trees as thick as bowls before falling heavily to the ground, rolling several times before going still. It was unclear whether he was unconscious or dead.

"Fool!!" Yuan Tao's eyes widened in shock and rage. Although Fool wasn't very bright, he was incredibly strong and thick-skinned, making him his capable assistant and bodyguard. He never expected that Fool would be crippled by Nie Lingfeng in a single exchange!

Enraged, he disregarded the loss of the beads, his hands flashing out hand seals as he shrieked at Nie Lingfeng, "You little bastard! You're asking for death! Nine Dragon Sons - Fiery Dragon Burning Heaven!"

The remaining six beads (Pulao, Suanni, Baxia, Bian, Fuxi, and Chiwen) shone brightly, and crimson flames surged forth, intertwining and converging to transform into six ferocious, lifelike fire dragons. Carrying intense heat capable of burning the entire world, they pounced on Nie Lingfeng from different directions! The scorching heat distorted the air, and the frost on the platform rapidly melted away.

Nie Lingfeng's eyes were icy cold. Facing the six imposing fire dragons, he neither dodged nor avoided them. The Snow Drinking Blade in his hand transformed into a fierce blade of light!

"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"

Six condensed silver blade energies erupted almost simultaneously! Each strike precisely slashed at the "reverse scale" or energy core of a fire dragon! The extreme cold contained within the blade energies clashed and annihilated with the fire dragon's high temperature, producing a loud "sizzling" sound and white steam!

To everyone's astonishment, the six imposing fiery dragons were annihilated one by one by these six sword energies, turning back into scattered sparks, which were then completely extinguished by the remaining cold air!

Yuan Tao's face turned deathly pale, and he retreated hastily, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His prized "Nine Dragon Sons" were utterly utterly useless against this young man! "Just what kind of monster is this kid?!"

However, just as Nie Lingfeng was pressing closer and Yuan Tao's defeat was becoming apparent, a sudden change occurred!

The "Four Madmen," who had never truly made a move and had only been subtly forming an encirclement from the outside, have finally made their move!

The first to strike was the fat monk Gao Ning. His compassionate smile remained unchanged; he simply clasped his hands together in front of his chest and began to chant obscure scriptures in a low voice. No sound emanated, but an invisible, intangible yet strangely powerful fluctuation, seemingly capable of directly influencing emotions and souls, spread silently like ripples on water, instantly enveloping the entire platform!

His primary target was none other than Lu Jin, who was enraged and locked in a fierce battle with the remaining beads of Yuan Tao!

Twelve Labors Formation!

Lu Jin's body jolted violently! He felt his "Qi" and mind, which had been highly concentrated and surging wildly due to anger, suddenly invaded and interfered with by an extremely strange external force! It was as if many phantoms appeared before his eyes, and countless chaotic murmurs rang in his ears. Joy, anger, sorrow, grief, fear, and shock... all kinds of extreme emotions were like wild horses breaking free of their reins, colliding and emerging wildly in his heart! The light of the talismans around him immediately became chaotic and flickering, and his control also became sluggish.

"Elder Lu! Guard your mind!" Nie Lingfeng sensed something was wrong and immediately called out to remind him.

But Lu Jin seemed to be deaf to reason. The expression on his face began to change drastically, sometimes ferocious and furious, sometimes grief-stricken, sometimes wildly ecstatic, sometimes trembling with fear... as if twelve different personalities were vying for dominance within him, making it impossible for him to concentrate or accurately control his power.

At the same time, Dou Mei, with her melancholy air, sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to contain all the weariness and despondency of the world. A gentle, soothing yet intensely eroding force of willpower, like the twilight at dusk, spread out, silently entangling Lu Jin and further eroding his fighting spirit and will to resist.

The alluring Xia He giggled, her eyes gleaming with a vibrant pink light. Instead of attacking directly, she transformed the pink "qi" energy—capable of stirring the most primal and instinctive desires of living beings—into invisible, intangible threads. Like the most cunning venomous snake, these threads burrowed through the cracks in Lu Jin's heart, created by his intense emotional turmoil, and penetrated his soul, amplifying and stirring the various desires hidden deep within him.

Anger, sorrow, joy, fear, weariness, desire... all sorts of negative emotions and states were stirred up, amplified, and intertwined by the combined efforts of the "Four Madmen," turning Lu Jin's mental world upside down like the most vicious curse!

Shen Chong, who had been calmly observing and waiting for his opportunity, suddenly had a glint of light in his eyes!

It's now!

His figure vanished silently from his spot like a ghost, and in the next instant, he appeared behind Lu Jin, who was in a daze and whose protective Qi was in disarray! His right index and middle fingers were joined together, and a dark, deep black light, seemingly capable of absorbing all light, gathered at the fingertips—that was the essence of his "High-Interest Qi Loan" ability, which allowed him to "lend" his own Qi into the enemy's body like a loan shark, not only causing damage but also lurking like a seed, constantly eroding and amplifying the opponent's depletion and weaknesses!

"Old Master Lu, be careful!" Nie Lingfeng forced back the frantically counterattacking Yuan Tao with a single slash and turned to save him, but Shen Chong's movements were too fast, too stealthy, and the timing was too precise!

"laugh!"

A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

Shen Chong's fingertips, imbued with the aura of "usury," had already touched Lu Jin's unsuspecting back!

Although Lu Jin possessed profound cultivation and his protective true qi spontaneously surged during the crisis, forming a barrier, the insidious qi contained in Shen Chong's finger still penetrated like mercury, forcibly taking root in Lu Jin's meridians and sea of ​​qi, like a poisonous vine seed!

"Ugh—!!!"

Lu Jin trembled violently, as if struck by lightning! He suddenly threw his head back and let out a roar of extreme pain and rage! His eyes instantly filled with ferocious blood vessels, and his once clear gaze was completely overwhelmed by rage, chaos, and pain!

He could clearly feel a cold and evil foreign energy surging wildly within his body, violently clashing with and catalyzing his already raging, emotionally unstable Reverse Life Triple True Qi! On the surface of his skin, strange, bluish-black patterns, resembling cracks or runes, appeared uncontrollably. His hair stood on end, and his originally pure Qi became chaotic, violent, and destructive, emanating a terrifying aura like that of a prehistoric beast!

Reverse Life Triple - Overload and Full Power Operation!

To combat the foreign Qi within his body and the frenzied erosion of his spirit, Lu Jin unconsciously began to recklessly exploit his life essence in exchange for a brief but terrifying surge in power! This was no longer a battle; it was the prelude to self-destruction!

"Die! All of you, die!!!"

Lu Jin completely lost his mind, falling into a state of indiscriminate madness! He waved his hands wildly, and the talismans in front of him, which he had previously controlled, were like wild horses without reins, indiscriminately bombarding in all directions! Golden lightning, crimson flames, cyan wind blades... attacks of various attributes were splashed haphazardly, blasting the already chaotic platform into a mess of flying stone chips and billowing smoke!

Zhang Lingyu was grazed on the shoulder by a stray lightning talisman, letting out a muffled groan as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She was thrown back by the blast wave. Yuan Tao seized the opportunity to scramble away to a greater distance, watching the rampaging Lu Jin with lingering fear, daring not to approach again. Even the "Four Madmen" paled slightly, quickly scattering to avoid his attack. The crazed Lu Jin was now a walking, talking disaster; anyone who touched him was doomed!

On the entire platform, only Nie Lingfeng remained standing steadily.

He gripped the Snow Drinking Blade, its blade shrouded in icy aura. His brows furrowed as he looked at Lu Jin, who appeared mad, unable to distinguish friend from foe, and burning his own life force before him. His heart sank.

The plot... has gone awry.

In the original "memory," Zhang Zhiwei, the Old Celestial Master, should have arrived by now, suppressing the entire scene with overwhelming power and rescuing Lu Jin. But now... where is the Old Celestial Master? Is he being held up elsewhere by other, more formidable experts from the Quanxing Sect? Or... has some unexpected turn of events occurred?

He looked towards the deeper, quieter part of the back mountain, where extremely intense, even more terrifying, Qi fluctuations could be faintly felt, clearly indicating a higher-level battle was taking place.

"The Celestial Master can't come for the time being..." Nie Lingfeng gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the Ice Heart Technique flowing through his mind. He forcibly suppressed the killing intent and anger rising from the tragic scene before him and the slight agitation of the Qilin blood within him, and his eyes became calm and resolute.

"Then... I'll have to do it."

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and walked towards the old man who had once been kind and gentle, but was now a mad destroyer. The blade of the Snow Drinking Blade, illuminated by the moonlight and the flames of the explosion, gleamed with a cold, resolute blue light.

"Old Master Lu," his voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the roar of the explosion and Lu Jin's shouts, carrying a hint of guilt, but also an undeniable determination.

"Excuse me!"