The iron spear was the pole of the blood-colored flag, which was why it was so long. It landed on the ice surface and was even higher than Xia Hou. The body of the spear was dark and dull. It was completely straight, devoid of any ornaments, and smooth beyond compare. The only difference it had compared to a rod was that one end was very sharp and glinted in the bright light.
Even though Ning Que had reacted at the most crucial moment and saved his own life, his arms hurt terribly from the shock. It felt like his bones were broken, and his chest felt uncomfortable, as if blood was gathering there.
The flag had torn and its pole had flown. An iron spear had flown all the way here from hundreds of miles away, tearing through the clouds. It could have smashed him to smithereens and he had almost lost his life. He found it difficult to imagine how much power was actually hidden in this spear.
Then Ning Que came to know that this was Xia Hou's trump card. It was not the unyielding Devil's Doctrine spirit in his body, but this iron spear which could appear anytime to break through clouds.
No one knew that Xia Hou was skilled with the spear. Ning Que had never heard of it.
This black iron spear was used by Xia Hou as a flying sword. How could a powerhouse from the Devil's Doctrine who was at the Peak state of Martial Arts use such an exquisite and powerful method?
The iron spear stood erect on the lake, giving off a powerful aura. It announced its existence and will to kill to its opponent and the surroundings of the lake openly.
Ning Que raised his right arm and wiped off the blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. He asked, "What's the name of this spear?"
"The Open Spear." Xia Hou said. "You have your arrows shot in the dark, I have my spear used in the open."
Ning Que coughed up a mouthful of blood. He panted, "The spear is good, so is its name."
Xia Hou looked at the slender podao in Ning Que's right hand and narrowed his eyes slightly. He said, "You have a good blade as well."
That was indeed a good blade, or it wouldn't have been able to block the spear that had torn through the clouds and descended from above. It would have shattered had it not been good.
Xia Hou said without emotion, "But other than Liu Bai's sword, who else could go against my spear?"
Ever since he had betrayed the Devil's Doctrine and sworn loyalty to the Taoist sect, Xia Hou had secretly prepared for the possibility that he might face Master Lotus who might still be alive. He also prepared to face Twenty-Three-year Cicada Cultivation who would not die quietly.
The iron spear in his hand was what he had prepared.
He had made the spear himself.
The spear style came from the abbey dean of the Zhishou Abbey.
In all the years he had practiced cultivation, Xia Hou had gone against the rules of cultivation and forced himself to cultivate the arts of the Taoism sect. He had successfully cultivated the iron spear into his natal item!
From then on, the spear had an entirely new style. Xia Hou thought that it was light, or perhaps, he hoped that it would be the last ray of light. That was why he had named the iron spear the Open Spear.
With the spear in hand, Xia Hou dared to stare directly at the Enlightenment Doctrine's spying in the dark.
All the more so considering Ning Que's ordinary blade.
Senior Brother who was at the city walls had sensed when the blood-colored flag was torn into shreds and the pole turned into a spear that flew in the night skies. He stepped forward subconsciously, touching the city walls with both hands. He did not feel the cold of the snow on the walls, but looked in the direction of Yanming Lake worriedly.
One could imagine how powerful Xia Hou's spear was to have Eldest Brother look so worried. It dealt a blow to many who had come to observe the battle.
Eldest Brother muttered to himself, "I didn't expect General Xia Hou to have a move like this at the very end."
"This spear's velocity, power and vigor are all perfect."
Ye Su said, "I remember teacher once said that he had once tried to get Xia Hou to shed the Devil's Doctrine arts and cultivate in Taoism when he brought him to the Taoism sect... However, I did not expect Xia Hou to really practice Taoism, even managing to cultivate this spear to such a high state. It's really impressive."
The Eldest Brother twitched and said, "So it is the abbey dean who taught him, no wonder the spear is so overbearing."
"It is not overbearing, it is open and aboveboard." Ye Su said, "If Xia Hou could cultivate his Open Spear into absolute light, he would definitely be a match for Liu Bai if he were at his peak."
Eldest Brother shook his head and said, "Without taking General Xia Hou's injuries into account and only looking at the Open Spear's current state, he is still some distance away from Mr. Liu Bai's sword style."
Ye Su said, "The distance is against Liu Bai, but this is not something that Ning Que can handle with."
Eldest Brother fell into silence.
Ning Que suffered a terrifying blow after being hit by the unyielding Open Spear. His internal injuries were becoming obvious and he needed some time to recover. That was why he wanted to say more.
While Xia Hou was already injured, he should have opted to crush Ning Que into meat paste before he himself bled. However, for some reason, he allowed Ning Que time to say a few words.
Because he began to have doubts and grew alert.
Ning Que had prepared for 15 years for this battle on the lake. Xia Hou did not have much time to prepare, but he had several decades of experience on the battlefield.
He was one of the four great generals of the Tang Empire. Everyone was captivated by his viciousness and cold-bloodedness. They had forgotten his talent in military affairs. In fact, his abilities to lead and direct on the battlefield were equal to his power. What was more terrifying was that he was brilliant at using military tactics on battles with cultivators.
Xia Hou had employed military tactics since he entered the estate by the Yanming Lake and placed his flag. He had assumed the role of the Middle Military Camp and faced his enemy appearing weak. He had even sacrificed many of his soldiers and faced Ning Que's strongest moves. He had seen what all his enemies could do when they were finally exhausted. That was when he pulled out his trump card and attempted to kill his enemies.
He had exhausted most of his powers and bled considerably, making a huge sacrifice for the last shot. The last shot would have to be something major that would not give his enemies any other chance.
The blood-colored flag at the front was like thousands of armored cavalrymen he had hidden around the battlefield. It was so that they could suddenly appear when the enemy was under attack so as to concretize their victory.
The elite black armored cavalry of the Tang empire was the most powerful and fear inducing group. They had been trained over a long period of time, having traversed the wilderness and were undefeatable. The spear in the blood-colored flag was Xia Hou's most powerful and terrifying move. It was definitely his trump card as he had only used it at the very end.
The spear was imbued with the belief and vigor of a powerhouse in the Peak state of Martial Arts. Not even a cultivator who was more powerful than Ning Que could defeat it.
However, Ning Que did not die after being struck by it when it flew out of the clouds. Even though he was still coughing blood and was evidently severely injured, he did not die. This confused Xia Hou.
Xia Hou considered this as he conversed with Ning Que. He tried to find the source of his confusion and a solution.
After a moment, he understood half of the answer. As such, his eyes grew brighter as he looked at Ning Que, and they grew colder, just like the snow on the surface of the lake.
It was sufficient, understanding half of it. At least, Xia Hou felt that it was sufficient to explain his doubts and wariness. He waved his right arm, and the remnants of cloth covering it turned into dust. The blood that was dripping from his wounds spurt into the air. The spear in his hand flew into the skies, disappearing completely.
Xia Hou's second shot with the spear was not aimed at Ning Que, but at Sangsang, who stood on the cliff.
He had gained sufficient information, and knew that the girl on the cliff was definitely Ning Que's handmaiden. He knew that the handmaiden and Ning Que had an unusual relationship. And he also knew that the handmaiden was Wei Guangming's successor.
Sangsang's identity had always felt strange to Xia Hou, and he grew vigilant against her. So, he decided to kill her first. This decision was also a military tactic. Military tactics were not plots, but were open and overboard due to their simplicity. It was just like the aura of the iron spear. Xia Hou wanted to make it clear to Ning Que that he wanted to kill Sangsang. He wanted Ning Que to return to save her and then die.
Sangsang was Ning Que's life. He would do anything to kill the person who would dare to use Sangsang to threaten him. It was why he had shot Prince Long Qing in the Wilderness.
An ordinary person would definitely save the weak looking girl who was as precious as life itself, casting away his own life.
However, Ning Que did not do that. He did not turn around when he sensed that the unyielding iron spear was heading straight for the cliff. Instead, he held the hilt tightly, stepped on the ice with his right foot and quickly moved ten feet forward. He flicked his wrist and raised the sharp podao, charging towards Xia Hou.
His speed was astonishing. The wind on the lake blew on his black Academy uniform. His sleeves flapped loudly in the wind as if it were a night sky that was about to be split apart.
Xia Hou raised his brows in confusion. He grasped at the air with his steel-like right fist.
The iron spear had torn through the air and gotten to the cliff on the southern banks of Yanming Lake towards Sangsang. Due to the air friction, the dark spear glowed with a sheen of light. Compared to Sangsang's slender, tiny body, it appeared massive and terrifying.
Snow wrapped around the spear as it thrust forward, the wind scouring painfully on her cheeks. Her yellowish hair, which had been trimmed short, looked like grass in the stream, slammed backwards by the wind.
She knew that Ning Que would not turn around to save her because he could not even save himself. Furthermore, Ning Que trusted her to save herself. She had to save herself right now.
Sangsang was the successor of the Divine Priest of Light and had studied Divine Skills with the old man. She had also practiced with the Tao Addict, Ye Hongyu over the last few days. However, she had never participated in a battle between cultivators.
She did not know how to fight or save herself. And just like what she did when she was about to die on Min Mountain many years back, she followed her instincts and squatted down like an injured animal. She closely held the handle of the umbrella and curled up as much as she could, allowing the big black umbrella to shield her body completely.
An extremely odd sound rang on the cliff. It was like the sound of drumsticks hitting a broken drum, or it also could have been the sound of Xia Hou stepping forward, but falling through the broken ice surface and into the water.
The iron spear dug into through the big black umbrella forcefully, the sharp spear pierced through layers of oil and dirt.
The spot where the spear met the umbrella sunk in. There was the sound of black cloth tearing, and it became a terrifying dark hole. However, at the depths of the black hole... the spear had not managed to pierce through the umbrella!
The handle of the big black umbrella pressed into the rocks. There was a loud crack, and like a knife cutting tofu, the handle drove into the rocks. Pebbles flew into the air. Sangsang, who hid under the umbrella with her eyes closed, suffered the brunt of the impact. Her face paled and with a gurgle, blood sprayed from her lips, the new clothes she had put on this morning stained red.