"An Artifact!"

  The green-skirted woman and the Blood Dwarf couldn't help but turn pale with terror simultaneously.

  Only Foundation Establishment cultivators could refine Artifacts. Although she was already at the late Qi Refinement stage, separated from Foundation Establishment by just a single layer, that divide was like an insurmountable chasm, blocking the vast majority of Qi Refinement cultivators.

  No matter how powerful a Qi Refinement cultivator was, they could not be a match for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if facing only a flying sword Artifact crafted by one.

  The small black sword erupted with speed surpassing the Blood Dwarf's twin wheels. It swayed left and right, effortlessly deflecting the much larger wheels aside. A faint afterimage flickered in the air.

  "Shan, save me!" the Blood Dwarf screamed in panic, turning to flee without even bothering with his wheels, which now bore significant gashes and had lost most of their spiritual energy after being struck twice by the black sword, rendering them nearly useless.

  Thump——

  The small black sword pierced through his chest. The Blood Dwarf shuddered as if struck by lightning, his figure suddenly freezing. He looked down to see a blood hole the size of a bowl gushing blood. Gurgling sounds came from his throat as his eyes lost their luster. His corpse slumped to the ground.

  "Stop! We'll each take one of the remaining Purple Ginsengs. Don't force me to use a fourth-grade talisman!" Seeing the Blood Dwarf dead, the green-skirted woman's face showed no trace of grief. It wasn't that she was unwilling to save him; everything had happened in a flash of lightning. From the appearance of the black sword Artifact to the Blood Dwarf's death, it was all within the black-robed elder's calculations.

  Now, she was also surrounded by a large swarm of small green ants—at least two to three hundred of them.

  Seeing the buzzing swarm approaching, the green-skirted woman wore a deeply wary expression. Simultaneously, she beckoned with her left hand, summoning a talisman about three inches long and one and a half inches wide, inscribed with mysterious patterns.

  The black-robed elder's face flickered with uncertainty as he gazed at the talisman radiating a formidable spiritual pressure, not inferior to his flying sword Artifact. He never expected the green-skirted woman to possess such a trump card.

  However, the black-robed elder didn't hesitate for long. He was determined to obtain both Purple Ginsengs. Moreover, information about the ginsengs absolutely must not leak, or it would mean disaster, leading to his death and the dissipation of his cultivation.

  Besides, with only one Purple Ginseng, the risk of failing to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill was significant. What if the refinement failed? Wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?

  Thinking this, the black-robed elder gritted his teeth and commanded the Shadow Ants to continue besieging the green-skirted woman. Even at a cost, eliminating her was completely worthwhile.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "If that's the case, don't blame me for fighting you to the death!"

  The green-skirted woman shrieked, not expecting the black-robed elder to be so reckless. Her opponent had an Artifact-grade flying sword and controlled this swarm of Shadow Ants. Using ordinary methods, she would likely be killed by him in moments. So, she abruptly channeled spiritual energy into the talisman, staking everything as she hurled it.

  The talisman flickered with dazzling fiery light. A whirlwind sprang from nowhere. The talisman ignited automatically, transforming into a giant fireball.

  Boom! The fireball exploded, materializing into dozens, even a hundred, fiery arrows.

  "A fourth-grade Fire Arrow Talisman!" The black-robed elder's expression changed. Although this talisman was only a low-grade fourth-tier item, its power was no less than that of a typical Artifact. Its only drawback was that it was a single-use item, unlike his Artifact, which could be reused as long as it wasn't completely damaged. Yet, the black-robed elder dared not underestimate the talisman's killing power in the slightest.

  "Perish!" the green-skirted woman screamed ferociously. With the Fire Arrow Talisman unleashed, she had no more trump cards left, and there was no room for compromise between them.

  Whoosh, whoosh——

  Over a hundred fiery arrows shot through the air towards the black-robed elder. The small green ants in front of the arrows were burned to death by the flames, falling to the ground in clusters, emitting a charred, foul smell.

  The black-robed elder frantically slapped out four or five first-grade Earthen Shield Talismans. One earthen shield after another materialized before him.

  Boom, boom! The fiery arrows struck the earthen shields in succession. Among the Five Elements spells, earth-based defense was the strongest. Low-tier Earthen Shield spells were famously resilient like turtle shells among spells of the same rank. However, the difference in grade between the two types of talismans was too vast. In the blink of an eye, after being hit by the arrows, the four or five layers of earthen shields shattered into countless fragments of dirt.

  The black-robed elder's face turned grim. He hadn't expected the Fire Arrow Talisman to be so powerful. Hastily, he retrieved a small blue umbrella from his storage pouch and snapped it open just in time. A sapphire-blue light screen suddenly descended, enveloping an area five feet around him.

  Sizzle, sizzle——

  The fiery arrows struck the blue light screen as if hitting mud, their speed drastically reduced. Half the arrow might pierce the light screen, but the other half remained stuck outside, eroded by the swirling blue light. Puffs of white, vaporized steam emerged.

  However, as subsequent arrows arrived one after another, the blue light screen visibly thinned at a rapid pace.

  With a loud crack, several holes burst open on the small blue umbrella.

  The remaining twenty or thirty fiery arrows, without a moment's pause, shot towards the black-robed elder once more.

  A pained expression crossed the black-robed elder's face. This spirit umbrella was a top-grade spiritual tool that had accompanied him for years. Defensive spiritual tools were exceedingly rare. Yet, it ultimately couldn't withstand the power of a fourth-grade talisman equivalent to a strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. After holding for only a few breaths, it was utterly destroyed.

  But by now, this fourth-grade talisman was also at the end of its strength. Gritting his teeth, the black-robed elder manipulated the black sword Artifact to deflect the incoming fiery arrows.

  The black sword Artifact struck the oncoming arrows one after another, causing a large number of scattered flames to explode in the air. However, no matter how fast the elder was, the black sword couldn't cover everything. After shattering the vast majority of the arrows, two still shot straight at him. Intense pain erupted in his abdomen and thigh. The black-robed elder, horrified, quickly mobilized the spiritual energy within his body to envelop the two arrows.

  Boom! Boom! It was too late. The black-robed elder let out a howl of agony. His left leg was directly blown off, filling the air with the smell of charred flesh. The arrow in his abdomen, although hindered by his internal energy, still exploded, creating a bloody hole the size of a bowl.

  Seeing that even the fourth-grade talisman hadn't killed the black-robed elder, the green-skirted woman was filled with terror. She turned and fled.

  The black-robed elder's face was sinisterly fierce. He spat out the word "die" through clenched teeth. The black sword Artifact transformed into a streak of black light, chasing after the green-skirted woman.

  The green-skirted woman hadn't fled far when she felt a chilling killing intent assaulting her from behind. In a panic, she swung her sleeves, sending out the purple silk ribbons to entangle the black sword Artifact. The black sword twisted in mid-air, slicing the ribbons into several pieces. Under the green-skirted woman's disbelieving gaze, it slashed diagonally down from her left shoulder, cleaving her body in two.

  The black-robed elder recalled his flying sword and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Enduring the excruciating pain, he tried to staunch the bleeding, but his injuries were worse than he had anticipated. Of the scattered Shadow Ants, he only managed to hastily recall twenty or thirty. After painstakingly harvesting the Purple Ginsengs, he looked around. The mist in the canyon had mostly dissipated. Even if there was a rare treasure, after such a brutal battle and in his current condition, he couldn't hope to contend for it. It was better to return to his cave dwelling and recuperate properly for a while.