The sound of the slip wasn't loud. In this environment, it couldn't be heard by too many people, but it was enough to awaken those around him.

Both Gu Lianni and Li Hongjiu showed surprise on their faces. As members of the Artifact Refining World, anyone with a certain degree of knowledge would not be unfamiliar with this sect that emerged suddenly more than a hundred years ago, once shining brilliantly, producing outstanding talents, suppressing Shudao Mountain, and even daring to challenge the Refining Heaven Sect—only to suddenly vanish.

The reason for its disappearance seemed to be its involvement in the conflict between the Heavenly Court and its four royal courts. One royal court found an excuse to send forces and directly wipe it out.

Since then, the Cultivation World has seen no trace of the sect known as Sky Covering Island.

The "Boundless Banner" was Sky Covering Island's signature magical treasure, said to house an independent realm within itself, capable of devouring both people and artifacts. Though it functioned similarly to the Qiankun Bag, its power was leagues beyond anything of that sort.

How could a Qiankun Bag possibly suppress a treasure as powerful as "Sudden Slash"? It would be destroyed with a single encounter.

It was rumored that when this treasure appeared, it could intimidate other artifacts into submission.

When Sky Covering Island was wiped out, the forces involved supposedly searched extensively for the "Boundless Banner," but it was never found. No one ever imagined it would show up here.

In truth, Zuo Zisheng had never seen it himself. He had only heard of it, but observing the form of this banner, which matched the descriptions in the legends, and seeing it effortlessly swallow a fifth-grade magical treasure, it seemed to align quite closely with those rumors.

Gu Lianni and Li Hongjiu also witnessed the instant clash between the two treasures. They were equally surprised—how could a treasure like the "Boundless Banner" end up in the hands of a mere Four Cauldron Sect?

Seeing their fellow disciple slain, other core disciples of the Refining Heaven Sect had readied their magical treasures for retaliation. But upon seeing Senior Brother Zuo's treasure swallowed in a single encounter, they clutched their treasures nervously, almost tossing them away, and dared not make any rash moves.

Yin Tianlu, too, had heard of Sky Covering Island's "Boundless Banner," but he wasn't paying close attention to what was happening behind him. Even when he heard about it, he barely registered the information, as his focus was entirely on controlling his magical treasure for another attack against Shi Chun.

The saying "a single setback leads to wisdom" proved true—he adjusted his strategy after noticing the flaws in the overturned bowl-shaped disarray of flying swords. The empty space below provided him with a reminder: if one angle didn't work, why not try an all-encompassing assault?

The flying swords swirled like a cloud around the spinning umbrella. Once reorganized into formation, they suddenly separated, encircling him and attacking from multiple directions.

Standing atop the sword hilt, Shi Chun glanced at Xu Anzhang and You Mu, who had already taken action. With just one move, they had broken out, demonstrating immense strength. This boosted Shi Chun's confidence significantly. Then, he raised his gaze, saw through the intent of the Sword Rain, and launched himself into the air.

For other participants, facing such an aggressive attack from a fifth-grade magical treasure would have terrified them beyond measure. Dodging wouldn't even be an option. Yet Shi Chun did the exact opposite—he charged against the tide of Sword Rain.

The only purpose of this maneuver was to give Sword Rain the perfect opportunity to launch an all-out attack on him.

More than two-thirds of Sword Rain had already been immobilized. This meant a treasure had lost two-thirds of its power. Since Shi Chun had successfully dealt with it once, he naturally wouldn't fear the remaining one-third. His movements seemed urgent, but his grace and ease revealed a sense of calm and mastery.

To the spectators, particularly figures like Gu Lianni, this defiant scene was nothing short of astonishing.

They could hardly believe this was the same Shi Chun they had known for so long.

At first, their attitude toward this so-called leader of the Sky Rain Meteor Conference had been one of mild disdain—just a meaningless contest among a group of cultivators who hadn't reached Great Success.

Later, his abilities brought them tangible benefits, and they began to treat him as an equal.

Now, they felt themselves compelled to look up to him.

Some gaps between individuals require no elaborate explanations. Seeing it firsthand is enough to make it clear.

The wind remained strong. Gu Lianni's long legs remained as striking as ever, and her hair continued to whip in the gusts. Her focused gaze held an indescribable depth.

Seeing the masked man leap into the air, Yin Tianlu immediately saw it as an opportunity, his eyes flashing with intense purpose.

Suspended in mid-air, Shi Chun appeared momentarily drained, and an intentional pause in his movements suddenly emerged. This sight caused Li Hongjiu's eyes to flicker with astonishment yet again—this wasn't the first time he'd detected such hints in Shi Chun's actions.

Sword Rain moved swiftly, completing its encirclement in an instant, giving Shi Chun no chance to catch his breath before simultaneously firing from every angle.

Yet Shi Chun purposely exposed a flaw—that was precisely his strategy. Sword Rain was not only powerful but numerous. Carrying on like this would be increasingly troublesome. He aimed to eliminate it all in one move.

Everything coalesced into a motion. Suspended in mid-air, Shi Chun pushed his arms outward with a single, fluid gesture.

The Sword Rain, which had simultaneously fired from all sides, suddenly contracted into what looked like a ball of light. As it shrank to a certain size, the contraction slowed, then halted entirely, remaining frozen in mid-air.

"Ah…" Yin Tianlu let out a startled cry. His face reddened in frustration—despite his desperate mental commands, he couldn't make the immobilized Sword Rain move even an inch.

The spectators were similarly shaken. That masked man was too powerful!

Meanwhile, Xu Anzhang and You Mu, flying through the air, demonstrated remarkable synergy.

One moved within the spinning Six Paths Golden Wheel, the other outside it. Both dashed through the air with precise timing, each step landing perfectly atop a crescent.

They weren't simply observing the unfolding drama. Since they had made their move, they were determined to assist Shi Chun, charging together toward the spinning umbrella hovering in the sky.

Seeing this, Yin Tianlu flew into a rage. If he couldn't deal with the masked man himself, surely he could handle them instead?

He refused to believe that everyone possessed the skill of that masked man.

A mere flicker of thought was all it took—the spinning umbrella swiftly folded into itself and transformed into a stream of light, striking toward Xu and You with a thunderous impact.

Zuo Zisheng, his teeth aching, instinctively shouted, "Don't…"

But it was too late—by the time those words left his mouth, the matter had already concluded.

Xu Anzhang, dashing outside the Six Paths Golden Wheel, swung the Boundless Banner yet again. The black banner unfurled, creating a shield before him. The instant the thunderous strike of the umbrella collided with the fabric, it vanished like a mud bull plunging into the sea.

Gone without a ripple, not a sound marking its departure.

"Ah…" Yin Tianlu cried out again, his face showing a hint of panic.

This wasn't the same kind of stalemate where nothing could be moved—this time, he felt himself entirely disconnected from his magical treasure, with the central core of the artifact having vanished.

Without the central control hub, what was there left to command?

Zuo Zisheng looked at Yin Tianlu's expression, torn between anger and amusement, and cursed mockingly, "I told you that was Sky Covering Island's 'Boundless Banner'—did you not hear me, or have you never heard of it before?"

"Sky Covering Island… Boundless Banner…" Yin Tianlu stood dazed, recalling that he had indeed heard the term mentioned earlier but had failed to respond in time.

Li Hongjiu, seeming to mutter to himself, posed a question: "Is that masked man really Shi Chun?"

Previously, he had only been suspicious. But after seeing the masked man shout out to Xu Anzhang and You Mu, doubt began to grow.

How could someone with cultivation inferior to his have such abilities?

Whether it was a sect elder or Shi Chun himself, he found himself increasingly intrigued.

Zuo Zisheng, furious about the loss of his treasure, glanced around and asked, "Fifth-grade magical treasures can be so easily suppressed, and there's this 'Boundless Banner' that supposedly dominates all other treasures—how do we even continue playing this game?"

Li Hongjiu replied with a touch of irony, "Relying too much on external objects only ensures such outcomes sooner or later."

Zuo Zisheng immediately turned toward him, remembering that this man had yet to act—while he, on the other hand, had already lost a treasure. He deliberately mocked, "We've all suffered heavy losses, yet Mr. Li seems to be merely enjoying the spectacle. Is this how the Yanbao Sect cooperates with us? Is this how you sit idly by as they escape?"

He wanted to provoke Li Hongjiu into action and get a sense of his true capabilities.

Li Hongjiu, still fixated on Shi Chun's movements, responded calmly and confidently, "Relax. Not a single one will get away."

The surrounding individuals couldn't help but reevaluate him after hearing such bold words. Was this a bluff? But considering the situation, with one enemy even the combined might of fifth-grade treasures couldn't subdue, the claim seemed almost absurd.

Seeing their doubt, Guang Haoyou, standing behind Li Hongjiu, casually remarked, "If my Martial Uncle says no one escapes, then no one escapes."

This statement was not only full of confidence but carried significant weight for Zuo Zisheng and the others, forcing them to reconsider their estimation of Li Hongjiu.

Even Guang Haoyou spoke with such certainty—this seemingly unremarkable guy might indeed possess the legendary, extraordinary skills of which rumors spoke.

Li Hongjiu swept his gaze across his surroundings and muttered, "We've got some trouble incoming."

The people nearby immediately scanned their surroundings…

Shi Chun suddenly experienced what could only be described as being ensnared by his own trap—immobilized Sword Rain had encircled him completely. Every blade pointed toward him, trapping him like a rat in a cage.

With his cultivation, he couldn't possibly undo the restraint of treasures capable of immobilizing fifth-grade magical artifacts.

Of course, he did have methods to break through immobilization skills, capable of unbinding several swords and escaping through a gap.

But doing so presented another problem—once the swords' restraint was broken, would they immediately strike him down? Back and forth—immobilized, released, immobilized again?

Nonetheless, Shi Chun wasn't in a hurry. He had already witnessed Xu and You demonstrating their remarkable skills above, and with their sects subdued and holding back below, the situation wasn't so dire. Feeling reassured, he pulled out the Ice Sheep and placed it inside the mask to catch his breath.

Meanwhile, Xu Anzhang and You Mu landed outside the circular Sword Array, each holding a sword hilt to stabilize themselves as they peered inside. Their eyes met Shi Chun's, confirming his identity, and the two grinned broadly.

Their smiles were unmistakably sheepish—it turned out their sects had sent a true expert, yet they'd managed to misjudge him before.

Xu Anzhang chuckled awkwardly, "Brother Chun, with so many people eyeing us, shouldn't we make our exit for now?"

Standing atop the sword blade, Shi Chun did want to leave—the issue was figuring out how. He signaled toward the banner in the other's hand with a nod of his chin. "With such a fine treasure in hand, why didn't you bring it out earlier? What kind of treasure is it?"

It wasn't difficult to tell that this was an extraordinary magical treasure—its ability to intimidate multiple sects was evident to anyone. Shi Chun couldn't help but admire it; there was no mistaking that he coveted it deeply. He wasn't being subtle about it—he fully believed such a treasure would ultimately end up belonging to him. He just needed more information for future planning.

"Boundless Banner," Xu Anzhang replied, and with a bitter chuckle, he added, "Brother Chun, isn't this an inappropriate place for a chat?"

Shi Chun gestured toward the immobilized Sword Rain below, "You already took their umbrella. Why not take this with it? If you can gather all of it, don't just take half—collect everything and give it to me. I've got use for it."

Xu Anzhang cursed inwardly at the sheer brazenness of Shi Chun's words. "Just for you? Magical treasures are useful to anyone!"

Still, now wasn't the time to debate this—the priority was escape. Xu Anzhang hesitated momentarily, scanning the area warily. After confirming Shi Chun was serious and recalling his recent shift in attitude toward the masked man, he reluctantly nodded, "I'll give it a shot."

He immediately cast an incantation and swung the banner powerfully. The fabric swept across the circular Sword Array, erasing a gap in the cage-like formation silently and without resistance.

All was ready—the way out was clear, sparing Shi Chun from public embarrassment. Witnessing this, Shi Chun's face lit up with joy.

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