C16 Firstgrade Magic Tool

"Come up to the stage!"

Tang Yuan's voice wasn't loud, yet it reverberated through everyone's minds like a clap of thunder.

A faint golden glow emanated from Tang Yuan's tall frame. His handsome face bore an expression of supreme confidence, as though he were looking down upon the world. For a moment, the onlookers felt as if they were in the presence of a young sovereign!

"Tang Yuan, are you challenging Tang Hsing?" It was a while before Tang Jing found her voice, her gaze fixed on Tang Yuan with incredulity.

Given the talent Tang Yuan had displayed that day, it seemed nearly impossible for the Tang family to challenge his position as the young patriarch.

Yet, here he was, daring to challenge Tang Hsing—a cultivator at the Spirit Containing Stage taking on one at the Spirit Sea Stage.

"He's lost his mind!"

"Two victories have gone to his head. What a shame."

Many onlookers shook their heads in dismay. The awe that Tang Yuan had inspired was now overshadowed by profound disappointment.

No matter how gifted, a person needed time to mature. To them, Tang Yuan's current endeavor was nothing short of reckless, a move that could jeopardize his entire future.

"If you're so eager to die, I'll oblige you!" A chill emanated from Tang Hsing's expression as he prepared to engage.

Despite Tang Yuan's rapid advancement in cultivation recently, it paled in comparison to the vast gulf of power between them.

Tang Hsing stepped forward, his Spiritual Force swirling into life, causing his robes to billow as if caught in an unfelt breeze.

"Kill him!" Tang Ling's inner voice screamed, her eyes alight with frenzy.

"Let the duel begin! Please, exercise restraint!" Tang Jing's heart was heavy with regret. If only she hadn't pinned all her hopes on Tang Hsing, Tang Yuan's potential would be boundless.

All she could do now was hope for Tang Hsing's mercy, to spare Tang Yuan's life, though she knew it was a forlorn hope. Once Tang Hsing made his move, Tang Yuan would stand no chance.

"Even before I reached the Spirit Containing Stage, I had begun mastering the Tang family's most formidable technique, the Ice Sword. Now that I've achieved Minor Success at the Spirit Sea Stage, you stand no chance against me!" As Tang Hsing spoke, a creeping chill began to radiate from his being.

On the trial platform, a pristine snowflake materialized and gently settled on the ground without a hint of melting.

Whoosh!

Tang Hsing took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. A fierce wind whipped up around him, swirling with an endless dance of snowflakes, rendering his form indistinct.

Whoosh!

Tang Hsing's figure darted toward Tang Yuan with sudden speed. He was determined to make quick work of this fight, aiming to decisively defeat Tang Yuan with overwhelming superiority.

On the platform, Tang Hsing's presence seemed ubiquitous. This was the power of the Ice Sword, channeling Spiritual Force into a frigid sword intent to vanquish his foe.

In this moment, Tang Hsing employed a unique technique of movement, intent on keeping Tang Yuan guessing about the direction of his first strike. The fear of the unknown was the most excruciating torment one could inflict!

Tang Yuan observed the flickering afterimages surrounding him, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth before he gradually closed his eyes.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. To close one's eyes in the midst of combat—had he lost his mind?

The temperature around Tang Yuan began to rise subtly. A barely audible rumbling emanated from his body. Lifting his right hand, a powerful wave of battle intent surged forth, poised to transform into a lethal blade.

Whoosh!

A soft sound signaled the approach of a sword intent, crystallized from ice and snow, aiming for the center of Tang Yuan's back.

Yet, Tang Yuan remained motionless, eyes slightly closed, seemingly oblivious to the impending strike.

Chi!

The sword fizzled out with a faint noise, just a meter away from Tang Yuan, vanishing into nothingness. This attack lacked force; Tang Hsing's intent was to exhaust Tang Yuan, but there was no response from him.

"You're seeking your own demise!"

Tang Hsing's gaze turned icy. He had hoped to savor the look of fear on Tang Yuan's face before his end, but Tang Yuan's utter lack of reaction forced a change in his plans. He resolved to end Tang Yuan's life immediately!

With a mere thought, another sword strike was unleashed, this one descending from above, aiming straight for Tang Yuan's face.

In that instant, Tang Yuan finally moved. As the blade bore down on him, he subtly shifted aside, the sword intent grazing perilously close to his cheek.

Many onlookers were sweating bullets, unsure if it was luck or something else that allowed him to narrowly evade the attack!

A dragon's roar filled the air as Tang Yuan lunged forward, charging at a shadowy figure enveloped by the blizzard.

The light emanating from his hands stretched a full foot! A myriad of beams sparkled, and the snowstorm swirling around Tang Hsing was instantly reduced to fragments!

Chi!

The sound of fabric tearing echoed as Tang Hsing stumbled backward more than a dozen steps, and at the same time, the other two afterimages vanished!

"He actually deciphered Tang Hsing's movements!"

"Tang Yuan seems different today!"

Following the initial clash, Tang Yuan remained completely unharmed, whereas Tang Hsing now sported a bloody mark!

Tang Yuan had gained the upper hand!

Shock filled Tang Hsing's eyes. He hadn't anticipated Tang Ya to be this formidable, but he wasn't the least bit concerned, having made thorough preparations for this day.

"Tang Yuan, today marks your end!" Tang Hsing declared icily. In a flash, a palm-sized copper mirror materialized in his hand.

"Tang Zong, you actually entrusted the Fire Serpent Mirror to Tang Hsing!" Tang Ling exclaimed, her expression darkening as she confronted Tang Zong.

"My son reached the Spirit Sea Stage at seventeen. It's only natural for him to be the future young patriarch of the Tang family. What issue could there be with him safeguarding the Fire Serpent Mirror?" Tang Zong replied nonchalantly.

Tang Jing cast a glance at the great elder, Tang Yu, who had remained quiet throughout. It was only now that he realized Tang Yu had been Tang Zong's steadfast supporter all along.

"The Fire Serpent Mirror is that first-grade magical artifact of the Tang family?"

"It's said that the Tang family's ancestor acquired this first-grade magical artifact on Small Holy Mountain. It was with this that the Tang family rose to become one of the leading powers in Holy Mountain Town."

Faces around the crowd were etched with awe. In a modest place like Holy Mountain Town, witnessing a first-grade magical artifact was exceedingly rare. Cultivators below the Spirit Sea Stage stood no chance against its might!

And in the hands of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, it could even pose a threat to others at the same stage.

Tang Ling, previously standing tense with anticipation, eased back into her seat. The presence of this magical artifact erased any uncertainty about the outcome of the battle.

"Tang Yuan, be careful!" Tang Hu's eyes blazed with a murderous intent as he prepared to charge forward, but he paused when Tang Yuan subtly shook his head at him. Trusting Tang Yuan implicitly, Tang Hu took his seat once more.

"Tang Yuan, don't hold this against me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for standing in my way!" Tang Hsing's face twisted with madness as he channeled his Spiritual Force into the Fire Serpent Mirror with wild abandon.

A fiery orb materialized within the mirror, and then the Fire Serpent Mirror began to levitate, transforming into a circular fire gate as tall as a man!

With a faint hiss, a colossal fire snake, stretching nine meters long, burst forth from the gate. It unleashed a torrent of fierce flames, engulfing Tang Yuan in its fiery embrace.