Soul-Piercing Needle Fails, A Fight to the Death

The cave was thick with spiritual energy as the aftermath of clashing spells still lingered, and tension permeated the air. Now, only five Foundation Establishment cultivators remained—Feng Ming Daoist and another scattered cultivator on one side, and the leader of Cloud Mist Mountain and one of his companions on the other. Both sides were locked in a final life-and-death battle.

Wang Quan stood aside, his sharp gaze tracking the fight, silently analyzing the situation. Though the scattered cultivators held a slight numerical advantage, the leader of Cloud Mist Mountain was powerful and wielded the Soul-Piercing Needle, a formidable weapon against spiritual beings. He was not to be underestimated.

The battle had reached a fever pitch. The Cloud Mist Mountain leader showed no signs of retreat despite being outnumbered. A cold smile played on his lips as the Soul-Piercing Needle, glowing with azure light, cut a deadly arc through the air, aiming directly for Feng Ming Daoist.

"Hmph, a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to challenge me?"

The Cloud Mist Mountain leader scoffed, his tone dripping with arrogance and confidence.

"Soul-Piercing Needle! Break for me!"

With a sharp cry, the needle emitted a piercing sound, its azure light intensifying as it shot toward Feng Ming Daoist's spiritual core, targeting his very soul. The Soul-Piercing Needle, designed to pierce spiritual beings, carried immense penetrative power. If it struck the core, the damage would be catastrophic.

Feng Ming Daoist's face darkened as he slashed his sword to deflect the needle, but its piercing force far exceeded his expectations. Layer after layer of defense was torn apart, and the azure light closed in on his chest.

"Boom!"

Just before the needle could pierce Feng Ming Daoist's body, another scattered cultivator leaped into the fray. With a series of hand seals, he conjured a thick shield of earth-element spiritual energy, which intercepted the needle. The Soul-Piercing Needle struck the shield with a deafening crash, shattering it but losing some of its momentum.

"Now's our chance!"

The other scattered cultivator seized the moment, channeling his spiritual energy into a complex technique. His energy coalesced into a massive net of spiritual power that ensnared the Soul-Piercing Needle, trapping it and immobilizing its deadly advance.

The leader of Cloud Mist Mountain's face twisted in fury as he realized the needle was stuck. The earlier explosion from the evil spirit's self-destruction had already damaged the Soul-Piercing Needle, and now it was restrained by his opponent's technique.

"Damn it!"

He cursed, pouring his spiritual energy into trying to retrieve the needle. However, the scattered cultivator's technique was no ordinary binding spell. The spiritual energy locked the needle tightly, preventing its immediate escape.

"Without your treasure, what can you do now?"

Feng Ming Daoist sneered, his sword glowing with vibrant spiritual energy as he unleashed a storm of attacks aimed at the leader of Cloud Mist Mountain.

Seeing his prized weapon neutralized, the Cloud Mist Mountain leader's expression darkened. Realizing the danger of his situation, he retreated swiftly, his movements a blur of speed, and summoned a surge of spiritual power with a quick hand seal.

"Thunder Strike!"

With a low growl, black clouds materialized above, and bolts of lightning snaked across the sky like dragons. The thunder roared, and crackling arcs of destructive lightning hurtled toward Feng Ming Daoist and the other scattered cultivator.

"Boom—!"

The deafening thunderclap shook the cave as the lightning tore through Feng Ming Daoist's sword light, reducing it to shreds. The bolts struck the ground with explosive force, sending shockwaves that forced both Feng Ming Daoist and the other cultivator to retreat, their protective shields barely holding.

"Damn it!"

Feng Ming Daoist cursed under his breath, quickly channeling his spiritual energy to stabilize his defenses. His sword flashed in a sweeping arc, dispersing the remaining lightning. But the Cloud Mist Mountain leader wasn't finished—he clapped his hands together, summoning waves of searing flames that surged toward the two scattered cultivators.

The air distorted from the intense heat as the firestorm advanced. In response, the other scattered cultivator quickly summoned water-element spiritual energy, forming a blue barrier to counter the flames. But the firestorm was too fierce, and the water barrier began to hiss and evaporate under the relentless assault.

Wang Quan, meanwhile, was locked in a standoff with another Cloud Mist Mountain cultivator, his senses sharply attuned to the unfolding battle. Though the Cloud Mist Mountain leader had lost the Soul-Piercing Needle, he remained a formidable opponent. His mastery of both fire and lightning spells was impressive, and despite being outnumbered, he was holding his ground.

"I need to capitalize on the fact that the Soul-Piercing Needle is immobilized,"

Wang Quan thought, gripping the Five Elements Spirit Disk in his hand. He knew that if this dragged on, the situation would remain precarious for the scattered cultivators.

At that moment, Feng Ming Daoist let out a battle cry, launching a devastating sword strike that sent a whirlwind of energy toward the Cloud Mist Mountain leader. The other scattered cultivator followed suit, sending a water-element dragon roaring forward to overwhelm the leader.

"Courting death!"

The Cloud Mist Mountain leader's eyes flared with rage. He waved his hands, and lightning and fire intertwined, generating powerful shockwaves that clashed against the scattered cultivators' spells. Explosions rocked the cave as the intense spiritual energy collision rattled the very air.

Yet without the Soul-Piercing Needle, the Cloud Mist Mountain leader couldn't maintain his previous dominance. His dual-element spells, while strong, were slowly being worn down by the combined efforts of Feng Ming Daoist and the other scattered cultivator.

"Damn it… I need to retrieve the needle!"

The Cloud Mist Mountain leader's face hardened. He realized that continuing this battle without his Soul-Piercing Needle would only lead to defeat. Retreating once more, he began to weave an intricate spell.

"Heavenly Fire Art!"

A towering column of flame erupted from the ground, illuminating the entire cave. The firestorm surged toward the scattered cultivator who had trapped the Soul-Piercing Needle, intending to force him to relinquish his hold.

However, the scattered cultivator was no novice. He gritted his teeth, conjuring a massive earth-element shield to protect himself while reinforcing the binding spell on the needle. He refused to let it escape.

The spiritual energy in the air crackled with intensity, and both sides continued to clash with increasing ferocity as the battle reached its zenith.