444: Chapter 444 Xu Ruyu's Scheme, A Chaotic Battle Caused by a Spiritual Artifact

"What a fine gun! What a fine gun!"

Tie Xiong held the qi-breaking gun above his head, the spiritual light reflecting off his ferocious face.

"The Array Pattern on this gun are ten times more exquisite than any Magical Artifact I have ever seen! With this thing, I can fight even if I encounter a Cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage!"

However, before his laughter had even faded, a sword beam descended from the sky, aiming straight for his head.

Tie Xiong's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly raised the gun to block.

With a loud "clang," the qi-breaking gun remained completely undamaged, but Tie Xiong was shaken back seven or eight steps, his thumb-crotch numbing.

"I want this gun."

A cold voice rang out.

A Sword Cultivator of the Golden Core Stage from the Tianshu Sword Sect landed gracefully, his long sword pointing diagonally at the ground, his gaze locked tightly onto the qi-breaking gun in Tie Xiong's hand.

His name was Zhou Mu, one of the Sword Cultivators brought by Zhao Qianyi of the Tianshu Sword Sect, with a cultivation base at the Golden Core Peak and exquisite swordsmanship.

"A piece of trash from the Tianshu Sword Sect dares to snatch my things?"

Tie Xiong glared, his eyes wide with rage.

"You say it's yours, so it's yours?" Zhou Mu sneered. "Spiritual Artifacts have no inherent owner; they belong to those capable of holding them. A brute like you at the Middle Golden Core Stage? Are you even worthy?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Mu thrust his sword out.

The sword beam was like a bolt of silk, carrying sharp Sword Qi as it aimed straight for Tie Xiong's throat.

Tie Xiong roared and used the qi-breaking gun as a staff, sweeping it out horizontally.

The two instantly clashed, sword beams and fist shadows intertwining, causing the rocks on the mountain to crack and shatter.

And similar struggles were playing out in every corner of the cliff.

The thirteen Nascent Soul Stage experts from the Jile Sect had also completely torn off their masks of restraint.

A middle-aged man with a sinister face, named Yin Wuji, at the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage, was a famous Artifact Refining fanatic in the Jile Sect.

He was obsessed with the refining of Magical Artifacts his entire life, once spending ten years currying favor with a reclusive old Artifact Refiner just to observe an ancient Spiritual Artifact.

At this moment, his gaze was locked tightly onto the three Thunder Roar Cannons.

"These are the true killing weapons..."

Yin Wuji muttered to himself, his voice trembling.

"The Array Pattern on the barrel have at least seven layers! Seven nested layers! And every layer is an independent attack array; if activated simultaneously, the power would be enough to threaten a Cultivator at the Soul Transformation Stage!"

His figure flashed, and he appeared beside one of the Thunder Roar Cannons.

His hands trembled as he caressed the cannon barrel, feeling the spiritual power fluctuations coming from those Array Pattern; his eyes actually grew slightly moist.

"Perfect... too perfect... I have never seen this kind of arrangement of Array Pattern in any classic... Whose handiwork is this? That kid at the Qi Refinement Stage? Impossible, absolutely impossible! There must be an expert behind him!"

Yin Wuji wished he could immediately dismantle this cannon to study every single Array Pattern inside.

He bent down to pick up the Thunder Roar Cannon, just about to store it in his Storage Pouch—

"Yin Wuji, put it down."

A hoarse voice rang out from behind him. Yin Wuji stiffened and slowly turned his head.

Ancestor Wandu had appeared behind him at some point, his withered figure looking like a dried tree trunk under the moonlight, but in those cloudy eyes, a chilling light flickered.

"Ancestor... Wandu..." Yin Wuji's voice was somewhat dry. "You, Old Ancestor, also want to snatch this?"

"Snatch?" Ancestor Wandu chuckled, his laughter like sandpaper rubbing together. "I have lived for over three thousand years; do I need to 'snatch'? I am just here to take what belongs to me. I have taken a liking to this cannon. Do you have an objection?"

Yin Wuji's face turned various shades of green and white.

His cultivation at the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage was already considered top-tier within the Jile Sect, but facing Ancestor Wandu—an Early Saint Realm Grand Elder, an old monster who had lived for three thousand years—he couldn't even summon the thought of resisting.

"I dare not... I dare not..."

Yin Wuji gritted his teeth, let go, and stepped back twice.

Ancestor Wandu extended his withered hand and gently patted the cannon barrel of the Thunder Roar Cannon, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Although his poison arts were powerful, he had always lacked a Magical Artifact capable of long-range, large-area killing.

This Thunder Roar Cannon just happened to make up for his shortcomings.

"Good, good, good."

Ancestor Wandu said the word 'good' three times in a row and stored the Thunder Roar Cannon away.

However, before he could be happy for too long, a thick, bloody stench assailed his face.

A thick, sturdy hand reached directly in front of him and grabbed the barrel of another Thunder Roar Cannon.

"Old Poison, you took one, this one belongs to me."

Blood Axe Ancestor's ferocious face appeared in the moonlight, his entire body exuding a nauseating, bloody scent.

The blood axe on his back had already been unslung and was now gripped in his hand, fresh blood still dripping from the blade—that was from a Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple who hadn't known any better and had been casually cleaved by him during the earlier scramble.

"Blood Axe, you also want to snatch from me?"

Ancestor Wandu narrowed his eyes.

"It's not snatching, it's dividing." Blood Axe Ancestor grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "There are three cannons in total. You get one, I get one, and the remaining one goes to Cult Leader Situ. Very fair."

Ancestor Wandu snorted coldly and did not refute.

Although he was conceited, he was unwilling to fall out with Blood Axe Ancestor over a second cannon.

Both were at the Early Saint Realm; if they really fought, neither would benefit.

Thus, Blood Axe Ancestor laughed loudly and hoisted the second Thunder Roar Cannon onto his shoulder. The thick cannon barrel looked like a fire poker in his hand, but his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Hahaha! With this thing, next time I go to slaughter a Sect, I won't have to hack away one axe at a time! One cannon blast, and half the Sect will collapse!"