Moreover, the flaming red spear in his hand was no ordinary weapon—it was a fifth-grade spirit artifact.
"Sss!"
The spear sliced through the air, radiating scorching heat like a streak of red lightning. In less than the blink of an eye, it was already at Ian Song's throat.
A gentle push forward would be enough to pierce his neck.
Chiiing!!
Just then, a clear sword cry rang out.
"Clang!"
The sword, arriving later but faster, met the spear tip head-on.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Ian Song's body shuddered as he retreated three steps before barely steadying himself, while Tyson Shen only stepped back once before swinging his spear overhead, aiming straight for Ian's head.
Although Tyson Shen was also late Out-of-Body stage, he was far stronger than Ross Luo, the Yin-Yang Sect Master—by more than just a little. Ian Song felt a new sense of gravity in his heart.
At the moment they clashed, an array sprang up on the fourth floor of the Immortal Cloud Pavilion, isolating it from the floors above and below to keep the shockwaves from damaging the rest of the building.
Otherwise, with the power of two Out-of-Body stage cultivators, they'd tear the Immortal Cloud Pavilion apart.
Still, the Pavilion was built incredibly sturdy. In the blink of an eye, Ian and Tyson had already exchanged over ten moves; plenty of energy slammed into the corridor walls, yet all they left were a few marks.
Meanwhile, a man and a woman appeared on the fourth floor.
The man looked to be just over fifty, sporting a goatee and dressed in a black robe, giving off a shrewd impression.
The woman was a stately beauty in palace attire, tall and curvaceous, with a gentle, warm smile on her lips and a commanding, noble air about her.
"Mistress, why aren't you stopping them?" the goateed man asked.
The palace-dressed woman laughed softly. "Why should I stop them? Lately, the Duke of Qi Residence has been far too dominant, and that brat Aaron Jiang is getting more and more arrogant—he even came to my Immortal Cloud Pavilion to stir up trouble. Now that this young man is standing up to them for us, we don't have to get involved. If he wins, that's perfect. If not, we'll just fan the flames from behind and let the Duke of Qi Residence's momentum keep growing. Sometimes, too much momentum isn't a good thing."
"Brilliant as always, Mistress!" the goateed man quickly praised. Suddenly, his expression sharpened as he watched the fight. "That boy's no pushover—he's only mid Out-of-Body stage, yet he's holding his own against Tyson Shen for this long."
The palace-dressed woman said coolly, "If that young man wins, we can recruit him and have him work for our Immortal Cloud Pavilion. If he loses, well, he can only blame his luck."
As the two spoke, the battle between Ian Song and Tyson Shen had reached a fever pitch.
Tyson Shen wielded his spear with near-perfection, each move ruthless and precise, always targeting vital spots. But Ian Song's swordplay was no slouch either—his seemingly ordinary techniques carried a hidden mastery, always intercepting Tyson's attacks at just the right angle.
Intercepting, not clashing head-on—because in terms of raw strength, Ian was still a bit weaker than Tyson Shen.
Off to the side, Aaron Jiang grew impatient seeing Tyson Shen unable to take down Ian Song for so long. He turned to Quentin Tong and snapped, "You get in there too—hurry up and finish that brat!"
"Yes, Young Lord!"
Quentin Tong knew his Young Lord's temper was unpredictable and that he hated disobedience, so he nodded and pulled out a black rope.
This was the Dragonbinder Rope, refined from demon dragon tendons—a fifth-grade spirit artifact. Its main purpose was restraint: once bound, even late Out-of-Body cultivators could hardly break free.
Quentin Tong tossed the Dragonbinder Rope forward. It transformed into a streak of black light and shot straight at Ian Song.
In a flash, the Dragonbinder Rope was about to wrap around Ian Song, but his figure suddenly vanished from where he stood.