C11 Lu Chen Awakened

"Wait up, lovely lady!"

As Ling Xiangxue was escorting Lu Chen away from the Roaring Forest, Chung Tieh's voice leisurely rose above the silence.

Ling Xiangxue's brow furrowed in annoyance, preferring to ignore him, but the rustling of the surrounding forest forced her to halt. She found herself surrounded!

Chung Tieh emerged with his six companions from the woods, encircling her. Each one, aside from Chung Tieh himself, exhibited the peak of Grade Five Spirit Force Fluctuations.

With her right hand resting lightly on her sword, Ling Xiangxue assessed her situation. Weakened by the Three Water Centipede's poison and after a day's journey with Lu Chen, her own strength had waned to that of a peak Grade Five. Yet, each of the six men before her was a desperado, their might matching the pinnacle of Grade Five.

"Listen, lovely lady, we mean no harm. That boy on your back has a score to settle with me. Hand him over, and you're free to go," Chung Tieh said, his eyes greedily scanning Ling Xiangxue before turning to glare at the still unconscious Lu Chen.

Ling Xiangxue glanced over her shoulder at Lu Chen, the memory of his extraordinary defiance just a day prior still fresh in her mind, compelling her to reminisce.

She would never have believed that a Grade Five Spirit Disciple could detain someone nearly at the Half-step Spirit Transforming stage of Grade Nine, had she not witnessed it herself. It convinced her of his potential to cure her poison.

"No, he's of use to me!" she declared, surprising even herself with the firmness of her voice, which rang out crisp and clear, thickening the breaths of Chung Tieh and his men.

"Hmph, you're clueless about what's good for you," Chung Tieh sneered, losing his patience. He drew his saber and adopted a horse stance, bellowing as he charged forward.

"Three Mountain Splitting Techniques, Heavy Peak Chop!"

Ling Xiangxue's right hand flashed, unleashing a brilliant arc of sword light to meet the attack head-on.

"Bam!"

In an instant, Ling Xiangxue was catapulted through the air like a kite whose string had snapped.

"Humph, these family disciples are no match at all!"

Chung Tieh watched, a cold sneer spreading across his face, his resolve unwavering.

But as Ling Xiangxue neared the ground, her pale wrist flicked, unfurling a sword flower. She twisted her body and landed gracefully, Lu Chen securely bound to her back with a strip of cloth. In a flash, she had broken free from Chung Tieh's encirclement!

"Damn it! She's so sly!"

Chung Tieh would have been a fool not to understand the situation. With a powerful stomp, he took off in pursuit, followed by the silent nods and swift steps of his five companions.

The Roaring Forest was vast and confusing; a hasty chase could easily lead to a wrong turn, and losing one's quarry was a constant risk.

The sleazy, skinny man from before had already lost his way.

Now, his desire to pursue Ling Xiangxue was gone, swallowed whole by the terror gripping his heart.

He glanced around, torn between shouting for his comrades and the fear of attracting wild beasts, uncertain of which direction to take.

Suddenly, a blinding white light streaked from behind him. By the time he turned, the light had already struck his head!

"Slash!"

The man was cleaved in two, his head and torso parting ways, his pupils a pale, milky white.

"Thud!"

His body collapsed to the ground, and out stepped a beautiful, breathless girl – Ling Xiangxue.

Her Spirit Force was fluctuating, barely maintaining a Grade Five level.

The more she used her Spirit Force, the deeper the Three Water Centipede's poison seeped. Eventually, her Spirit Force would be completely contaminated, the victim's body beginning to decay, until nothing was left but a puddle of poison.

She glanced at Lu Chen on her back, and for some reason, she found herself wishing he would awaken.

"Another one down, and maybe I'll spot an escape route!"

Ling Xiangxue sheathed her sword and headed in the opposite direction from the sleazy, skinny man.

Previously, she had opted not to run outside but instead to delve deeper into the Roaring Forest, betting that her pursuers would either encounter a formidable Spirit Beast or slow down out of fear.

Meanwhile, Chung Tieh, with his menacing appearance, was warily scanning his surroundings. Fear had gripped him as well; he had pursued her too deeply into the forest. He had just narrowly escaped a run-in with a sixth-grade poisonous wolfhound. If he hadn't detected it early and taken a wide detour, he might have been dead by now.

Suddenly, the sound of a sword sheath echoed from behind him. He spun around and, almost reflexively, parried with his long straw!

"Clang!"

The clash of weapons resonated through the air. Ling Xiangxue stumbled backward several paces before regaining her balance. She furrowed her brow, surprised at her own failure to succeed.

Chung Tieh, with his fierce demeanor, paused in shock. For a moment, he had thought he was a goner, but he had managed to block the attack!

At that moment, Ling Xiangxue's Spirit Force Fluctuation had completely receded to that of a Grade Four.

"Hahahaha, little girl, I, Chen Jun, am no pushover. Surrender peacefully, hand over the boy to me, and then keep me company for a bit of fun. Do that, and I'll spare your life," Chen Jun taunted, sensing that Ling Xiangxue's Spirit Force Fluctuation had weakened significantly. To him, a mere Grade Four was no threat to a Peak Grade Five Spirit Disciple.

Suddenly, the forest behind Ling Xiangxue erupted with noise. Chung Tieh emerged with a grim face, dragging someone with him.

"Little Lee has been killed by her!"

"What?"

Chen Jun felt a chill down his spine. Had this girl found him first, it would have been he who perished. Little Lee was a Peak Grade Five Spirit Disciple, on par with him in strength!

He had previously considered keeping her alive for a bit of cruel amusement. Now, reflecting on it, he realized he could have been the one to meet his end.

"Surround her and finish her off! Forget about any other twisted plans!"

Chung Tieh was seething with anger. The girl had killed his men, and even if he managed to kill her in return, he couldn't escape a severe reprimand from the head bodyguard!

Just yesterday, she seemed to be at the peak of Grade Five, yet now her Spirit Force Fluctuation was a mere Fourth Grade. The weaker she was, the better for Chung Tieh. With that thought, he wasted no more time, drew his long saber, and struck at Ling Xiangxue with all his might!

"Three Mountain Splitting Stances, Slanted Peak Slash!"

"Glorious Sun Flash!"

Ling Xiangxue's right hand flicked, severing the rope binding Lu Chen. Without a second thought, she charged into the fray!

The other two drew their swords and joined the battle!

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The clash of combat faded, leaving Ling Xiangxue lying on the ground, vulnerable as a kitten. Her fine sword lay discarded nearby, and a wound the size of a hand marred her stomach, her white dress soaked with the spreading stain of blood.

Chung Tieh, on the other hand, stood unscathed.

But Chen Jun wasn't so fortunate. A fine line of blood marked his throat, the blood flowing more profusely until, with a thud, his head tumbled from his neck.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! You wretched girl, you've killed another of my men!"

Chung Tieh's eyes were wild as he glared at Ling Xiangxue. One death was hard enough to justify, but two could very well spell his own demise at the hands of the head bodyguard!

"I'm going to kill you!" he bellowed, lifting his saber in a mad frenzy and bringing it down hard toward Ling Xiangxue!

"Bang!"

In a flash, as Ling Xiangxue braced for the end and closed her eyes, two golden fingers snapped out and clamped down on Chung Tieh's descending blade!

"Old baldy, I wasn't looking for trouble, but you just had to come after me!"