Lu Qiancha no longer paid any attention to Canxin, who was still busy studying the mushrooms.
She reached out her finger, attempting to channel her spiritual power into the Magnetic Mushroom and Magnetic King, wanting to retract them back into the Magic Cube.
As her spiritual power poured in, one second, two seconds… it was as if a clay ox had entered the sea, vanishing without a trace.
Lu Qiancha tilted her little head in puzzlement, looking at the Magnetic Mushroom who was sleeping soundly before her ( -_- Zzz), and the Magnetic King with a fierce expression.
Her small mouth opened slightly as she mumbled, “Can’t take them back?”
She pouted, a bit glumness showing on her small face. Forget it, just leave them here.
Anyway, these two mushrooms aren’t like the Destruction Mushroom that explodes—they don’t seem harmful. It should… be fine, right?
Lu Qiancha looked up at the distant sky, where the evening glow burned.
As night deepened, she planned to go back and cultivate for a while, then go to bed.
She didn’t dwell on it any longer, turned around, and trotted off toward the small courtyard on Tianquan Peak, her little legs going da-da-da.
“Hey hey hey! Little one, don’t run! I’m still studying this mushroom!”
Canxin’s dissatisfied voice echoed in Lu Qiancha’s mind. As soon as Lu Qiancha walked away, Canxin, being a spirit body, was immediately yanked away by the invisible power of their contract.
Left behind at the scene, only the Magnetic Mushroom, whose expression slowly shifted from -_- to O_O as it woke, and the Magnetic King, who still exuded an air of majesty.
***
About an hour later.
Moonlight, silvery as mercury, flooded the tranquil Tianquan Peak. A figure dressed in a somewhat loose Daoist robe walked up the winding path, swaying under the moonlight, humming a little tune.
This person was none other than Xuanya’s senior brother, Xuan Ping Elder.
He had come up the mountain this time to notify his junior sister Xuanya that the once-every-five-years Nine Peaks Grand Tournament was about to begin, and that she should quickly decide on which disciples would participate.
However, as he strolled leisurely into the depths of the bamboo forest, planning to take a shortcut, his footsteps suddenly halted.
In the moonlight, two oddly shaped, faintly glowing “things” stood there, their appearance completely at odds with the elegant green bamboo surrounding them.
“Hm? What are these?” Xuan Ping Elder rubbed his eyes and peered carefully in the moonlight, his brows deeply furrowed, “Magnetite?… Has it gained a spirit?”
Tsk, the world’s spiritual energy is truly growing thicker these days—even lumps of magnetite can develop intelligence? Strange, really strange.
Still, since these little spirits had appeared on sect grounds, to maintain cleanliness and prevent them from multiplying unchecked, it would be best to clear them out.
With a relaxed mindset about exterminating a stray demon, Xuan Ping Elder casually pulled a Xuan Iron Sword from his storage pouch.
Xianli surged slightly as he formed a sword seal with his fingers, chanting, “Become my might, with one sword I cut—”
Before he could finish saying “immortal,” a sudden change occurred.
The Magnetic Mushroom nearby, which looked rather dazed, suddenly bounced off the ground with a “plop,” like an arrow leaving the bowstring, and with perfect aim—“biaji!”—latched firmly onto the blade of Xuan Ping Elder’s Xuan Iron Sword.
Xuan Ping Elder: “…..?!”
His movements froze instantly.
Caught completely off guard by this clingy approach, he reflexively tried to channel more xianli into the sword to force the sticky magnetic spirit off—and perhaps destroy it at the same time.
But something bizarre happened.
The xianli he tried to infuse was completely repelled by the Xuan Iron Sword. Not even the slightest bit could enter, as though the blade was sheathed in an invisible, insulating barrier.
“Hmm?” Xuan Ping Elder’s brows twisted into a knot, suspicion and surprise rising in his heart, “How odd. This junk sword may not be high grade and its conductivity is lacking, but it shouldn’t even reject my xianli entirely, should it?”
Not believing it, he decided to use brute force, grabbing at the Magnetic Mushroom that clung to the sword like glue, trying to rip it off.
Result—Not a budge.
It was as if the Magnetic Mushroom and the Xuan Iron Sword had been welded together.
No matter how much xianli he channeled into his arm, no matter how much strength he used, the mushroom remained stuck fast, steady as Mount Tai.
…Xuan Ping Elder was completely speechless. In all his years, this was the first time he’d encountered such a monster. It didn’t attack, it just glued itself to his sword.
Annoyed, he formed a hand seal with his left hand.
“Palm Thunder!”
Zzzap.
A bolt of blazing white lightning, as thick as a bowl, shot out from his palm, striking the Magnetic Mushroom dead-on.
“Bang!”
The electric strike hit its mark.
The Magnetic Mushroom’s flexible stem was instantly pierced, its anthropomorphic face twisting in pain (X_X), before it slid limply from the Xuan Iron Sword and dissipated into a faint spirit light, vanishing into the air.
One down.
Xuan Ping Elder’s heart settled slightly, his sharp gaze now turning to the nearby Magnetic King, which had remained motionless and looked even fiercer, colored red and yellow.
Next, it’s your turn, magnet spirit!
The Magnetic King, witnessing its companion’s tragic fate, swiveled its large crimson magnetic cap sharply toward Xuan Ping Elder.
Below, its light orb suddenly burst into a blinding, violent yellow lightning. A strong sense of hostility surged forth.
Oh! This little spirit’s got guts! Feeling the pressure of my xianli, not only does it not flee, it even dares to release fighting intent?
A sneer curled at Xuan Ping Elder’s lips. He thought this “magnet spirit” was truly courting death.
He didn’t bother getting closer. Casually raising his right hand, xianli shimmered at his fingertips.
“Condense!”
Over a dozen small swords, each an inch long and forged from pure xianli, sparkling with flowing light, instantly floated before him, their tips aimed at the Magnetic King.
“Go!”
At his command, the swords of xianli shot forward like a swarm of bees, slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh, hurtling toward the Magnetic King.
Xuan Ping Elder could already picture the monster being pierced like a sieve.
Yet, another sudden change!
Just as the swords were about to hit the Magnetic King, the lightning in the orb beneath it erupted in dazzling brilliance.
Buzz—!
A powerful, invisible magnetic field instantly unfolded.
The flying swords crashed into what felt like an unseen spiderweb, coming to an abrupt halt midair.
Then, as if under orders, they all turned in unison, obediently circling around the Magnetic King’s U-shaped body, spinning slowly.
“…..?!”
Xuan Ping Elder’s mouth twitched hard, his eyes nearly popping out.
This damned thing…It can seize my xianli creations by force?! What in the Eastern Continent expletive is this thing?!
But there was no time to ponder.
“Zzt zzt zzt—!”
The next moment, under the Magnetic King’s command, the xianli swords that circled it shot forth with even greater speed than before, screeching as they streaked toward Xuan Ping Elder—their original creator.
Xuan Ping Elder’s heart jolted in alarm. In a hurry, he clapped his hands before his chest.
“Taiji Xuan Shield!”
A rapidly spinning black-and-white Taiji light shield, radiating an ancient Daoist aura, materialized instantly.
Ding ding dang dang—!
A rain of sharp impacts rang out, as all the xianli swords slammed against the sturdy shield, blocked completely.
One by one, they lost their force and fell to the ground with soft pops, turning back into dissipating xianli.