X-Dragon Era

Although Xin Yun currently has many magical artifacts, at the core, the one he values the most is the Thunderbolt Mace. In terms of level, the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag is still one or two levels lower than the Thunderbolt Mace!

In fact, if all five flags of the Five Directions Banner could be gathered, their power would definitely be comparable to the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. However... the other four flags are all in Hong Jun's possession, so obtaining them is impossible.

Speaking of defense, the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag is indeed invincible below the saint-tier level. However, the current issue is that with the Thunderbolt Mace, Xin Yun is already invincible below the saint-tier level and can even inflict harm on saints!

It can be said that if the Five Directions Banner were collected, its power would surpass the treasure tier, rivaling even the Pangu Axe. Yet, for precisely this reason, assembling the Five Directions Banner is destined to be impossible. Not to mention, the great saints would never allow such a thing to occur, and more importantly... the other four flags are held by the great saints themselves.

In truth, though the Five Directions Banner is powerful, when split apart, it can only be used defensively, and it's ineffective against saints. Therefore, while the saints possess the flags, they rarely use them. To saints, the Five Directions Banner is akin to a chicken rib—something that is tasteless to eat but that cannot be discarded. To prevent the banner from being completed, they simply keep it in their possession.

As for the Thunderbolt Mace, it's entirely different. Not to mention the Purple Lightning Hammer on its own, which definitely catches the eye of any saint. Particularly when the two components are combined, their power surpasses that of any single magical artifact, including top-tier treasures! Such an artifact, even saints would fight tooth and nail over.

If the Chaos Bell is considered the strongest artifact in defense, then the Thunderbolt Mace is undoubtedly the most powerful in offense. However... the Thunderbolt Mace is actually a combination artifact and doesn't fall into the treasure tier.

Time flew by as Xin Yun cultivated and refined his magical artifacts simultaneously. In the blink of an eye... the end of the year arrived, and Ming Xuan's final match was about to commence. After cultivating for an entire year, Xin Yun felt slightly fatigued and decided to take this opportunity to rest.

Through the Taiji Diagram, Xin Yun summoned all his companions and subsequently activated the Taiji Diagram, returning to the headquarters hall. Soon... his companions arrived one after another, not a single one missing.

Exchanging greetings, Xin Yun glanced over at Ming Xuan and smiled, asking: "How's it going? Everything on your end okay?"

Smiling confidently, Ming Xuan nodded and answered: "Very well... I've reached Diamond Ten Stars, and the Five-Colored Divine Light's power has significantly improved. There shouldn't be any problem!"

"Sweat..." As Ming Xuan finished speaking, Po Kong wiped the sweat from his forehead awkwardly and said with a bitter smile, "What do you mean by 'shouldn't be a problem'? That's way too modest!"

"Indeed..." With a resolute nod, Luo Fu declared decisively: "Exactly, there's absolutely no problem now. That kid... he's way too abnormal nowadays. I hate opponents like that."

"Huh?" Looking at the two with confusion and their bitter expressions, Xin Yun muttered, "Goodness... don't tell me the two of you were defeated by him?"

"Hehe..." Scratching his head in embarrassment, Po Kong hesitated but eventually nodded straightforwardly. As for Luo Fu, though he gritted his teeth tightly, there was nothing else he could do but stiffly nod as well. Clearly... both of them had lost to Ming Xuan!

Having witnessed Po Kong and Luo Fu's strength before, Xin Yun couldn't comprehend how they had lost. If the competition weren't so imminent, Xin Yun would certainly drag Ming Xuan out to spar and see just how strong he truly was.

Pondering for a moment, Xin Yun turned his head to look at Yan Qingying and asked: "What about you? How are things on your end?"

"I..." Opening her mouth in shame, Yan Qingying shook her head apologetically and said, "I'm sorry. My Diamond-rank abilities and battle techniques are too intricate. Although I've made some progress, I'll need at least another six months to obtain preliminary results."

"Sweat..." Wiping sweat from his forehead, Xin Yun couldn't fathom what kind of abilities or techniques this girl possessed to make them so challenging to manage!

Finally, Xin Yun turned his gaze to Yi Luo Xiang. Before he could speak, Yi Luo Xiang excitedly formed a V-shape victory gesture with her fingers. It was obvious... this girl's sword array was already fully assembled!

"Sigh..." Just as Xin Yun was about to inquire about the specific details behind Yi Luo Xiang's cheerful expression, Ming Xuan sighed and said bitterly, "Actually... this match could totally let Yi Luo Xiang take part. Although her personal strength hasn't reached Diamond Ten Stars, the truth is... I have no way to handle her, and she makes me incredibly miserable. Honestly... I hate facing such opponents the most."

"Indeed..." Po Kong and Luo Fu nodded fervently in agreement. They said seriously and in unison: "Exactly. We'd rather lose to Ming Xuan ten times than fight her once. It's torture... truly unbearable."

Looking dumbfounded at his other companions, Xin Yun quickly snapped back to reality. Though Yi Luo Xiang herself hadn't reached Diamond Ten Stars, her four Puppet Dragons each possessed strength at Diamond Peak—making them absolutely unrivaled compared to Luo Fu, Po Kong, and Ming Xuan, and even stronger in many ways.

Moreover, what's most noteworthy is that once the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation is deployed, the power of the four Sword Dragons is compounded, surging directly to Dragon King tier—at least the mid-stage. In this scenario, even if Luo Fu's nine Blood Shadow Clones used the Demonic Dragon Dismemberment Technique, their strength would still fall half a tier below the four Sword Dragons.