Chapter Fourteen: The Mysterious Artifact, Defeating the Enemy!

As his arm reached in, the chunk of iron instantly flowed and wrapped itself around Ye Wuyin’s right arm, taking shape and solidifying into a set of cold, gleaming iron claws.

A gasp swept through the crowd as nearly everyone cried out in shock.

“A Mystic Weapon!”

A glint flashed in Huo Zhengxiong’s eyes as he blurted out the words.

In the Eastern Domain of Azure Profundity, all tools used by cultivators in combat, whether for martial or magical duels, were uniformly called Mystic Weapons. These weapons possessed sentience and were divided into lower, middle, upper, and supreme grades. Above weapons lay the Mystic Treasures.

The set of iron claws Ye Wuyin produced was a genuine Mystic Weapon. Though merely of the lowest grade, such a precious item would never appear in the hands of an ordinary disciple in the Mortal Steel stage.

But the White Tiger Clan was different, and Ye Wuyin’s status was unlike that of others! Thus, possessions forbidden to the rest were permitted to Ye Wuyin—he could wield a Mystic Weapon.

“Haha, that boy called Qin Feng has already done well to last this long, but now that the Mystic Weapon is out, the outcome will soon be decided!” Huo Zhengxiong stroked his beard and laughed, speaking to Huo Siyan beside him. Yet Huo Siyan’s gaze was fixed on the Mystic Weapon in Ye Wuyin’s hand, her head slightly tilted, lost in thought.

With the weapon in his grasp, Ye Wuyin’s confidence surged, for he knew full well its devastating power—the kind that could shatter mountains with a single gesture. Unless Qin Feng had already reached the Human Steel stage, he stood no chance; his fate was all but sealed.

“To have forced me this far, you have some talent,” Ye Wuyin sneered, “but before the Tigerflame Claws, no one has survived. Prepare to die, you little bastard!”

He brandished the Mystic Weapon, his face contorted with arrogance, the handsomeness of his features now twisted, and his eyes blazing with murderous, blood-red intent.

But across from him, Qin Feng suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ye Wuyin, you want to kill me, don’t you? Enough talk—come at me!”

The intent to kill—more intense than ever before—flooded from Qin Feng. This time, he did not suppress the bloodthirsty urge within him, and the air within several yards around him seemed to freeze, chilling to the bone.

Battle lust surged through his veins—Qin Feng had always carried the blood of warriors.

Now, faced with a challenge that could cost him his life, every cell in his body came alive and throbbed with excitement.

The sensation was intoxicating—he truly was, at heart, a madman who craved the fight.

“Very well—just as... you... wish!”

Ye Wuyin locked eyes with Qin Feng, enunciating each word. Then, as the last syllable left his lips, his figure vanished.

No, he hadn’t vanished—he was simply too fast.

In the blink of an eye, he was upon Qin Feng, and the fingertips of the Tigerflame Claws burst into five crimson flames, slashing straight for Qin Feng’s chest.

Those flames could pierce through even Steel Force defenses! Such was the advantage of wielding a Mystic Weapon.

With such a weapon, an ordinary Mortal Steel stage cultivator could not possibly resist.

This blow was clearly meant to kill—driven mad by desperation, Ye Wuyin had resorted to his trump card.

Qin Feng did not move.

On the platform and below, everyone held their breath, and some of the women even cried out in alarm.

Just when they thought Qin Feng would be struck down in a spray of blood, he moved—and the movement was so shocking, none could believe their eyes.

Qin Feng reached out with his bare left hand and grabbed for Ye Wuyin’s iron claws.

“Has he lost his mind? Does he think a Mystic Weapon is made of mud? To pit flesh against a Mystic Weapon—he’ll be torn to shreds the moment they meet!”

Among the crowd, the Qin clan disciples who supported Qin Feng cried out in their hearts, “Qin Feng, what are you doing?”

Within the throng, Qin Ba clenched his fists, jaw tight, silently praying, “Qin Feng, you mustn’t lose—you have to win!”

Most in attendance could not approve of Qin Feng’s action. Only the Qin clan disciples seemed to retain a glimmer of hope.

All this was but a flash of thought for the onlookers, and everything thus far happened in an instant. Yet what followed would utterly stupefy them.

Just before Qin Feng’s left hand met the Tigerflame Claws, his hand was suddenly engulfed in a mysterious blaze.

The next instant, under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the Tigerflame Claws melted into a heap of scrap, and Ye Wuyin’s right hand was left charred and blackened.

But Qin Feng was not done.

His right fist flashed with blue light.

“Earth-grade Martial Technique—Tyrant Dragon Steel Fist!”

Boom—a colossal force slammed into Ye Wuyin’s chest. Bones cracked audibly, his chest caved in, and his body flew backward, trailing a torrent of blood into the air.

“Hm? A Heart-Mirror Talisman?”

At the last moment before Ye Wuyin was sent flying, Qin Feng murmured to himself.

Silence.

The entire arena was deathly still; everyone was lost in shock, forgetting even to breathe.

What an extraordinary and unexpected turn! No one present had foreseen this outcome.

“Wait—are my eyes playing tricks on me? Wasn’t it Ye Wuyin who just vomited blood and was gravely injured? Did he... lose?”

“Yes, it was Qin Feng who won. Did you see what he did just now?”

“No, it was too fast—damn it, why did I have to blink?!”

Ye Wuyin was blasted clear out of the training ground by Qin Feng’s punch, falling unconscious, his fate unknown. Several of the Ye clan disciples hurriedly hauled him away.

“Haha, we’ve won! Our Qin clan has won!”

In contrast, the Qin clan disciples erupted in jubilation, leaping onto the stage, hoisting the victorious Qin Feng, and tossing him skyward in celebration.

Below, Qin Ba’s tiger-like eyes brimmed with tears, his tense fists finally unclenching, his face flushed with excitement.

After all, before everyone’s eyes, Qin Feng had not only avenged Qin Ba and the others, but he had also defended the honor of the Qin clan as the foremost family in Luoyang Town.

Moreover, this duel had established Qin Feng’s reputation as the foremost among the younger generation of Luoyang Town. It would not be long before his name was known throughout the town and in every household.

As Qin Feng was tossed into the air, he glanced sidelong at Ye Wuyin being carried away by his clan, a trace of regret in his eyes.

Earlier, Qin Feng’s intent had been to kill Ye Wuyin with a single blow.

Therefore, he had not held back in his punch, striking directly at a vital point.

This was not cruelty on Qin Feng’s part; in the Eastern Domain of Azure Profundity, martial prowess was revered above all, and killing was commonplace. If a matter could be settled with fists, no one would waste words. Strength was everything, the only true voice. The Qin and Ye clans had been at odds for generations—not mortal enemies, perhaps, but with grudges festering over years of conflict. This time, Ye Wuyin had struck first, seriously injuring Qin clan disciples and crippling Qin Xiaoshu’s meridians, then sought to kill Qin Feng on the dueling stage. Against such a foe, Qin Feng had to kill.

Moreover, by stepping onto this stage, Qin Feng knew that win or lose, his feud with Ye Wuyin was sealed. Given Ye Wuyin’s vicious, murderous tactics, it was clear he felt the same—they both sought the other’s death. Dueling on the platform was a fight signed with a death warrant; life and death were left to fate, and no one would willingly leave future trouble alive.

Qin Feng was always decisive by nature.

Thus, his final punch had been aimed at Ye Wuyin’s heart. Unfortunately, Ye Wuyin had been wearing a Heart-Mirror Talisman. Though not as formidable as a Mystic Weapon, a top-grade Heart-Mirror Talisman was a rare protective treasure. It was enough to survive Qin Feng’s blow—at worst, several broken ribs and some internal injuries.

It seemed that in the future, he would have to find a way to rid himself of Ye Wuyin for good...