Erlan giggled, but continued to subtly retreat. Ah, shit, that snake reached fifth realm? If even one more of them succeeds, I’m outnumbered. Plus, I’m unlikely to steal any souls with the All-Heavens Sect around… I think it’s time to beat a tactical retreat.

Circling overhead, a certain crow followed as Erlan backed away.

“Drawing me away from your partner? As if I’d let you! Get back here!” Ding Qinwen shouted. He drew his hand back, and a golden bow materialized in his hands. A ghostly arrow grew brighter and brighter until it appeared a solid, metallic gold. He fired the bow. The arrow flew toward Erlan, fast as light, a gold chain rattling after it.

Erlan quickly drew a shield. The arrow slammed into the ink shield, and ink flew everywhere as it shattered. Ink coated the arrow. Erlan’s eyes glinted, and he flicked his fingers. The arrow shuddered, then spun about and flew back toward Ding Qinwen instead. “Partner? Are you blind?”

Ding Qinwen grit his teeth and clenched his fist, detonating the arrow before it struck him. A mouthful of blood sprayed out of his mouth from the backlash of detonating his own attack, and he stumbled back.

The ink coating the arrow became a fine mist from the detonation, and Erlan’s eyes glinted again. He reached out and created a ball with his hands. The ink encapsulated Ding Qinwen, each fine droplet circling around him. The droplets grew long spikes and rushed inward, seeking to turn Ding Qinwen into an ink pincushion.

Eyes wide, Ding Qinwen drew a large sheet from his spatial bag and swiftly covered himself with it, hunkering beneath it at the same time. The ink spikes struck the sheet, but not a single one pierced it.

“A gift from your master? You’re not the only one with a powerful Master,” Erlan chuckled. He flicked his hand, and a black iron spike appeared, oozing powerful black qi. Another gesture sent it flying toward Ding Qinwen. It pierced the sheet. Ding Qinwen let out a pitiful cry, and in the next instant, the sheet fell apart, strings unraveling around the place where the spike struck it until the entire sheet crumbled away. A deep wound dripped putrid blood from Ding Qinwen’s gut, the spear piercing him completely through and poking out his back.

Gritting his teeth, Ding Qinwen drew an elixir and drank it in a single gulp. Grimacing, he yanked the black spike out of his gut and tossed it to the ground. He flexed his hands, and gold gauntlets appeared over them. A gold cape flew out behind him, and when he reached out, a gold lance appeared in his hand.

He looked down on Erlan. “Did you think I’d only been gifted one treasure by Master Gui?”

Erlan laughed lightly, amused. He shook his head. “Only a crude master who cared little for his underlings would gift such general-use items. My Master has thoughtfully prepared gifts that belong to me alone!”

He waved his finger. A huge inkstone appeared behind him. Ice cold yin energy and death qi rolled off it in waves, as though the ink itself had been condensed from yin and death qi. Erlan waved his finger again, and a giant scroll appeared beside the inkstone. He threw his brush toward the scroll. It flickered across the scroll, creating the form of a fearsome beast with a lion’s head, a snake for a tail, two lizard-like claws, and eagle’s wings. The creature roared and rushed off the scroll toward Ding Qinwen.

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Ding Qinwen laughed at Erlan in return. “Crude? General-use? Let me show you the true might of my gifts!” He rushed at the beast. Golden light shone brilliantly off his armor and lance. The lance pierced through the beast, and the ink splattered in all directions.

Erlan giggled. He waved his hand. “Did you think that was all to my gifts?”

A dark shadow fell over Ding Qinwen. He looked up, startled. The inkstone hung in the air over his head. With each passing second, it grew larger. Ding Qinwen darted back, but the inkstone moved with him, locked onto his aura. Erlan dropped his hand, and the inkstone fell.

Just as it struck Ding Qinwen, Din Qinwen laughed aloud. He threw his hands upward and punched the stone with both gauntleted hands. It broke apart into pieces and flew in all directions. “This trifling artifact is your Master’s pride and joy? Or did he simply give you the trash that he had lying about?”

“Don’t mistake what you received for what I received,” Erlan replied, eyes narrowing. He flicked his wrist. The broken blocks of inkstone became liquid ink and streaked toward Ding Qinwen. They splashed over him, coating his golden armor in black. The gold aura fought against the ink, but the ink continued to soak down. Soon, Ding Qinwen’s entire armor was black. The black armor crumpled in on him, biting into his flesh and balling him up into a mess.

Erlan chuckled. “How unfortunate. It seems as if you are the one who received trash.”

Ding Qinwen struggled, then threw his hands and legs out. Ink flew in all directions, and the gold glow returned to his armor. “Trash? Don’t make me laugh!”

Somehow, Hui felt a pang in his heart. Hey, Master, where’s my powerful artifacts?

Actually… weren’t you two fighting over the right to kill me? How did this somehow become a bragging contest about who has the better gifts from their Master?

He squinted, barely able to make out the two men even with his fourth-stage vision. And why are they so far away? You can’t kill me from that far away… Soon, you won’t even be able to see me!

Over his head and under his feet, the lightning faded away. The clouds grew smaller and almost began to dissipate, but at the same time, the power of the tribulation gathered, almost thrumming on the air. Zhubi glanced back, giving him an encouraging look.

Hui stared upward and released his breath. Here it comes. The final blow!

An earth-splitting crack rang out. Hui tensed, but no pain burst out. Confused, he peered around. To the right, a thick bolt of lightning pierced the lotus beast.

Oh, that was her final blow. Okay. Well, she did start before me. Hui adjusted his state again. The tribulation aura gathered, growing to the absolute peak.

KABLAM!

Hui frowned. No pain? I’d expect the final strike to…

Tribulation power continued to gather. He peeked an eye open and looked around. To his left, Jin Xian bared her teeth and slashed down at the Underworldly Tribulation, fighting against the final blow.

BAM!

Okay, this time… Eh? Still no… tribulation? Hui frowned, a bit lost. But everyone else has already…

Tribulation clouds gathered over Lu Lintei. She looked up and scowled. “What? I’m not ready to transcend my tribulation yet. I’m not fully rested!”

“Martial Sister Lu Lintei!” Zhi Ahn shouted, concerned.

Hui squinted up at his own tribulation clouds. Are you ever going to—

Gold and black struck at the same instant. His entire vision turned black and gold, the two colors flickering, blacking out his world. Hui trembled uncontrollably. Tribulation power invaded his every meridian and seared through his passages. His flesh cooked, and his dantian spun wildly, on the verge of surging out of control.

I’ve… got to make it! Don’t fight back! Absorb it! Absorb it, Hui!