Chapter 909: Star Weapons

Chen Yang carried Yi Liya and directly left the Asura Field, arriving at the detached residence with Han Li, one after the other.

He placed Yi Liya in the inner chamber and then led Han Li to the outer side hall.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, is Fellow Daoist Yi’s injury serious?” Han Li asked.

“Though the injuries are severe, they are not life-threatening. It’s just that the use of the Long Armor technique has caused a severe loss of qi and blood, so he cannot wake for now.” Chen Yang waved his hand and said indifferently.

Han Li merely nodded upon hearing this and did not speak again.

“Do you know why I called you here?” Chen Yang pondered for a moment, then looked up at Han Li and asked with a grave expression.

“It should be about the next round of competition.” Han Li said unhurriedly.

“Correct. Do you have a countermeasure against Feng Wuchen?” Chen Yang nodded and asked again.

“Not yet, but when the time comes, I will certainly fight with all my might. Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Chen.” Han Li shook his head and said.

“Although I don’t know exactly how many acupoints you have opened, from your battle with Hao Feng, it seems you are not far behind him.” Chen Yang looked at Han Li and said slowly.

Han Li smiled faintly at these words and said nothing.

“I originally thought that with your own strength and the power of your true spirit bloodline, you should be able to contend with Feng Wuchen. But I never expected that Feng Wuchen would have a pair of star weapons in his hands. The situation is very unfavorable for you.” Chen Yang’s expression darkened.

“May I ask, Fellow Daoist Chen, what exactly are star weapons?” Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

“You don’t know? No wonder, since you have never been to Xuan City. So-called star weapons are the highest-level weapons refined by Lady Liuhua using the power of the stars here. They are extremely powerful and can amplify our strength. However, very few have been circulated. I wonder where Qin Yuan obtained that pair of twin swords.” Chen Yang said indignantly.

Han Li’s heart stirred upon hearing this, and the image of Feng Wuchen’s pair of weapons flashed through his mind again.

“But you don’t need to worry.” Chen Yang smiled and took out an object from his bosom, handing it over. It was a small white shield engraved with star runes.

At the center of the small shield were also inscribed eighteen star patterns, forming a dragon-shaped design. Each star pattern emitted faint white light, flickering on and off as if breathing.

“This is?” Han Li took the small white shield and felt a faint resonance between his acupoints and the shield.

“This item is called the Star Shield, also a star weapon. Normally, star weapons require long-term nurturing with essence blood to gradually master, but time is pressing now. You must immediately refine it with your essence blood and nurture it well these few days. By the third round, you should be able to unleash part of its power, enough to block a fatal blow from that pair of twin swords.” Chen Yang said thus.

Han Li looked at the small white shield, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, and said, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chen. In the third round, I will not disappoint you.”

Chen Yang smiled, gave Han Li a few key points on refining star weapons, and then sent him off.

Han Li took the Star Shield and returned to his room, entering the inner chamber.

He examined the Star Shield for a moment, then bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a drop of essence blood, which landed on the small shield.

The essence blood immediately merged into it, and the Star Shield emitted a layer of white light, producing a buzzing tremor.

A hint of joy flashed in Han Li’s eyes.

He could clearly feel a slight connection forming between himself and the shield, though it was still very weak.

In the following time, following the method Chen Yang had taught him, a crystalline light flickered at his brow, and he separated a strand of mental energy to probe into the Star Shield, slowly activating the power of that drop of essence blood to penetrate into the shield.

This feeling was similar to refining a celestial artifact, but without the aid of celestial spiritual power, it was much slower.

Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, over half an hour had gone by when a commotion came from outside.

Han Li’s heart stirred, and he stuffed the Star Shield into his bosom, then rose and walked out.

The detached residence was crowded with figures. It was the people from Qingyang City returning from Asura City. Gu Qianxun was surrounded in the middle, and everyone’s face bore excitement, but there was no sign of Xuan Yuan Xing.

“Fellow Daoist Gu, it seems you have returned victorious. Congratulations.” Han Li stepped forward.

“I merely succeeded by luck.” Gu Qianxun said with a smile.

Though her words were modest, there was not a single scratch on her body, clearly indicating an easy victory. Han Li was not surprised by this.

Seeing the two talking, the others dispersed on their own.

“Why is Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuan not here? How did his match go?” Han Li asked again.

“Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuan also won. Although his opponent was stronger, he successfully employed tactics in this battle, trading injuries for injuries, and barely won. He has been sent to the city lord for treatment.” Gu Qianxun laughed.

“Is that so…” Han Li’s eyes flashed with surprise.

"Fellow Daoist Li, your opponent in the third round is Feng Wuchen. Those two star weapons in his hands are extraordinary. Do you have a way to deal with them?" Gu Qianxun hesitated briefly before speaking.

"Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Gu. The City Lord and I have already discussed a strategy," Han Li nodded, but did not elaborate.

"That's good." Gu Qianxun did not press further, merely nodding casually.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before parting ways.

Han Li returned to his residence and continued refining the Star Shield.

As time passed, the white starlight emitted by the Star Shield grew increasingly intense, and the many acupoints on his body seemed to be drawn to it, stirring restlessly, as if on the verge of merging into one.

The Star Shield felt like an extension of his own limbs and torso, giving a sensation of blood and flesh merging.

Han Li opened his eyes and looked at the small shield in his hand, a flicker of surprise passing through his gaze.

Star weapons were indeed extraordinary, so profound.

He let out a soft breath and immersed himself in refining once again.

...

Time flew by, and another seven days passed.

Early in the morning, the Shura Field was already packed with people, a scene of bustling excitement.

After the first two rounds of competition, only sixteen Mystic Fighters from the five cities remained. On the Qian and Kun platforms, eight stood on each, with Han Li and Gu Qianxun among them.

In this round, the top eight of the tournament would be decided from among them.

As the morning sun rose high, after the five city lords and Lady Liuhua took their seats, the cheers from the stands were deafening and unending.

The swarthy man presiding over the ceremony stood on the Qian platform for a long time but could not suppress the crowd's roar. He had to wait until the noise gradually subsided before shouting:

"The competition has now reached its climax. Here we will determine the top eight fighters of this Five Cities Tournament. Today's victors will each receive a beast core from an Earth-rank Scaled Beast as a reward. The stakes for today's matches will also be significantly raised. I wish you all and every participating Mystic Fighter a great victory!"

"Top eight! Top eight! Top eight!..."

The stands erupted in cheers, and the enthusiasm of the audience was ignited almost instantly.

"The tournament is halfway through. Today, only the Qian and Kun platforms will be used, with two matches at a time for a total of eight matches across four rounds. The first two matches of today are about to begin: Xuan City's Zhu Ziyuan versus Xuan City's Jin Gong, and Zhixuan City's Feng Wuchen versus Qingyang City's Li Feiyu." After a long pause, the swarthy man announced loudly.

On the high platform, Chen Yang's expression was complicated and hard to read.

After the first preliminary round, his side had only four spots among the thirty-two victorious Mystic Fighters, a complete loss of face. Now, after the second round, his side had three victors, which, while not outstanding among the five cities, was at least mid-tier.

But he could not be happy.

According to today's match arrangements, not only would Han Li face Feng Wuchen, but in the second round, Gu Qianxun would also face Baiyan City's Fang Chan.

He had no confidence in these two matches.

Feng Wuchen's strength was obvious. Although he had spent a fortune to procure that star weapon for Han Li, it was Han Li's first time handling such an item, and he would surely be less adept than Feng Wuchen.

Coupled with the existing gap between them, the chances of winning were slim.

As for Gu Qianxun, she was undoubtedly strong, but her opponent was Fang Chan, who had once defeated her, so her odds of winning were not great either.

Although Xuan Yuan Xing, in the fourth round, would face Xuan City's Luo Chongwei, whose situation was slightly better than theirs, his winning rate was ultimately uncertain.

Originally, he had hoped at least someone could make it to the top four, but now it seemed even securing a top-eight spot would be difficult.

If Qingyang City stopped at the top eight, the result would be worse than in Du Qingyang's era. Not receiving rewards from Xuan City was one thing, but his authority as city lord would inevitably suffer.

He was not someone content to rule a corner.

"According to convention, shouldn't the chief Mystic Fighters of each city only meet after the top eight battles? Why is Qingyang City's Gu Qianxun facing Baiyan City's Fang Chan in this round?" Lady Liuhua suddenly asked.

"Cough, cough... That the chief fighters of each city are not arranged to fight before the top eight is merely a convention, not a rule. That these two chief fighters meet here is due to the tournament format. Cough, cough... But it's just as well; having this battle in the first half adds a lot of excitement," Qin Yuan coughed twice and said.

"I noticed that in the first two matches, Gu Qianxun's attacks were quite fierce. This time, facing Fang Chan, it's a revenge match. Perhaps Fellow Daoist Sun will lose a key general?" Fu Jian glanced at Sun Tu and said meaningfully.

Chen Yang's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but inwardly he sneered.

At the last Five Cities Tournament, Gu Qianxun had lost to Fang Chan. It was clear who had the greater chance of winning this time.

"Fellow Daoist Fu Jian is right. That kid Fang Chan spends all his time eating and sleeping, with no improvement over the years. I'm afraid this time he'll just be a stepping stone for your city's Gu Qianxun," Sun Tu said with a sigh, but a clear smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Cough, cough... Not only is this match full of highlights, but earlier, when Li Feiyu watched Wuchen fight Yi Liya, he seemed very dissatisfied with Wuchen severely injuring Yi Liya, to the point that the two clashed on the spot—something all the spectators saw... Cough, cough... So their battle is highly anticipated by the audience and will surely attract a lot of attention," Qin Yuan changed the subject, coughing incessantly.