C15 Are You Sick?
"Your skills may not be impressive, but you certainly have a number of aces up your sleeve!" Lee Xiao'er said with a mocking edge.
Xing Yun offered a slight smile in response. "You should leave. You're no match for me. I have other matters to attend to and would prefer not to engage in a serious fight with you."
Grimgarth was, after all, a haven for desperados. Xing Yun needed to accomplish his objectives at the Demonic Spine quickly and make his way back without delay.
Otherwise, he might have considered trying to win over Lee Xiao'er.
Unable to contain her derision, Lee Xiao'er scoffed, "So I should just leave? And then what, tell everyone outside about the multitude of magical treasures you possess? No matter how many you have, you're still worthless!"
Xing Yun paused for a moment, musing to himself, 'She regards the Aegis of the Void as a mere magical treasure. Well, that works in my favor.'
Noticing only scorn in Lee Xiao'er's eyes, without a hint of covetousness, Xing Yun gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"I'm a man of my word and have no interest in bickering with women. As I said, you cannot defeat me, and that's final. Consider this a final warning: leave now."
In the Voidlands, Ling Ji pursed her lips, her emotions a tangled web. 'Should I have kept silent? I fear he might become overconfident and stumble into peril...'
She had warned Xing Yun because she didn't want to see either of them harmed, nor did she wish to see a fine woman like Lee Xiao'er lured into the Voidlands by Xing Yun.
What she didn't realize was that Xing Yun's Voidlands were not currently accessible to humans.
"Foolhardy and ignorant!" Lee Xiao'er spat out. "In your next life, be someone who knows their place. As for this life, your fate is in my hands!"
As she finished speaking, Lee Xiao'er left a residual image behind. She lunged at Xing Yun with her daggers, striking with the speed of lightning.
When Xing Yun managed to dodge, Lee Xiao'er switched from stabbing to slashing, sweeping her blades at him and forcing him to continuously dodge and retreat, keeping him on the defensive.
Xing Yun had only recently arrived in this world, and his body had yet to fully regain its optimal strength. As a result, there was still a significant disparity between his physical power, speed, and that of Lee Xiao'er, who was at the pinnacle of the Awakened Soul Realm.
As Lee Xiao'er cornered Xing Yun, poised to deliver a fatal blow, Xing Yun's voice resonated with a deep warning, "Arrogance will be your downfall!"
Before his words faded, Xing Yun's footwork shifted dramatically. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing at the spot where he had previously faced off against Lee Xiao'er.
"How can this be? Does he possess some artifact that enhances his agility?" Lee Xiao'er thought, astonished.
She had exerted all her effort to defeat Xing Yun, only to feel as if it had been in vain.
Yet, driven by the pride of someone at the pinnacle of the Awakened Soul realm, she refused to concede, declaring haughtily, "All you do is evade."
"If I were to truly strike, you'd be dead before you knew it, your body shattered. But I have no desire to kill you," Xing Yun intoned gravely.
Enraged, Lee Xiao'er retorted, "What, you plan to capture and disgrace me? You're despicable!"
Channeling her spiritual energy, Lee Xiao'er conjured a black mist that enveloped her, withering the vegetation in its wake.
Xing Yun swiftly employed the Phantom Step, dodging while contemplating how to subdue her. "She practices dark arts, yet lacks the cruelty and bloodlust typical of those from the dark path..."
The spiritual energy and martial skills Lee Xiao'er wielded were undeniably sinister. Xing Yun was intrigued by her unexpected act of compassion in sparing Liang Xing, certain it wasn't motivated by any doctrine.
To unravel this mystery, he knew he must capture her...
Resolved, Xing Yun altered his approach, transitioning from evasion to engagement, and a three-foot sword materialized in his grasp.
His blade danced through the air, turning the tide against Lee Xiao'er, who found herself retreating step by step.
"Impossible! His mastery of the sword is too refined for someone of the Profound Vein Stage!" she thought, her mind racing with doubt.
The abrupt shift from defense to offense left Lee Xiao'er thoroughly perplexed.
By her estimation, Xing Yun's swordsmanship was on par with the most elite swordsmen of the sect—each stroke precise, no energy squandered, his command of spiritual energy effortless.
In his previous life, Xing Yun was unrivaled in strength across the Infinite Cosmos. His swordsmanship was second to none; no one dared claim the top spot, not even the legendary Sword Emperor himself!
The way of the sword is far more arduous than the usual martial paths.
"Now do you understand?" Xing Yun inquired, his tone light and breezy as he launched a counterattack.
Lee Xiao'er, feeling the sting of humiliation, was not about to take it lying down. She unleashed a surge of black Qi, aiming to take Xing Yun by surprise.
Darkness Explosion!
A fearsome wave of malevolent energy burst forth, targeting Xing Yun directly.
"Not good!" Ling Ji tensed up, sensing the danger.
To be able to resist and simultaneously execute a martial skill at such close quarters spoke volumes of Lee Xiao'er's extraordinary talent.
And at this proximity, the explosion could leave Xing Yun severely injured, if not worse.
"I get it now," Xing Yun declared with a hearty laugh, retreating an astonishing ten meters in the blink of an eye, escaping the blast radius of the Darkness Explosion.
Lee Xiao'er, taken aback by her failed attempt, asked in astonishment, "Understand what?"
Xing Yun commended her, "These dark arts don't suit you; you must have been resisting them during your training. Despite that, you've reached the pinnacle of the Awakened Soul Realm and are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Impressive!"
His probing counterattack had effortlessly revealed the state of Lee Xiao'er's inner spirit energy.
Most warriors train with dedication and willingness, but it seemed Lee Xiao'er had an aversion to the dark techniques and martial skills, which hindered her training efficiency.
Yet, she still outshone the average prodigy and was on the verge of a breakthrough, showcasing her exceptional gift.
In truth, Lee Xiao'er was not adept at close-quarters combat.
Otherwise, if another peak Awakened Soul Realm warrior were to face Xing Yun, he might not have been able to counterattack so effectively in his current state.
Lee Xiao'er's mind raced with even greater shock and suspicion.
But having her secrets laid bare by Xing Yun, and her training intentions guessed, she was infuriated and embarrassed.
"What gives you the right to evaluate me!" she exclaimed.
With that, Lee Xiao'er began to amass black Qi around her, ready to swiftly bring the battle to a close.
Phantom Waltz!
A vast expanse of dark Qi rapidly enveloped the area, and from within it, Lee Xiao'er's voice rang out in frustration, "No matter how fast you are, can you outpace this technique?"
As her words faded, a multitude of shadows burst forth, converging on Xing Yun from every direction.
They were all Lee Xiao'er's phantoms!
Though mere illusions, the aura of their spiritual Qi was palpably intense.
Xing Yun's face fell, "This technique?"
"Dead..."
Ling Ji, with her extensive knowledge, immediately recognized the formidable power of this technique, far surpassing that of any ordinary Earth-level martial skill. Her complexion turned ashen.
In an instant, hundreds of phantoms had Xing Yun completely encircled, then they launched a furious assault in unison!
"I never expected to encounter this technique here, but now it all adds up..." Xing Yun mused internally. He then extended his right fist, gathering the Astral Power, and delivered a thunderous punch to the ground.
The earth shattered as if mountains and rivers were crumbling!
The incredible Astral Power flowed ceaselessly into the ground before erupting outward, sending a maelstrom of rocks and sand, infused with Astral Power, scattering in all directions.
Lee Xiao'er's phantoms, upon contact with the debris, were pierced through and dissipated into nothingness!
In the clash of two mighty techniques, it was Xing Yun who effortlessly countered the Phantom Waltz with his own devastating move!
"How is this possible?!"
Lee Xiao'er was stunned as if struck by lightning, but she quickly regained her composure. The remnants of rocks and sand were already hurtling towards her!
She leaped to evade, but it was too late.
Lee Xiao'er swung her dagger, shattering the incoming rocks, yet she couldn't dodge them all.
Her protective dark Qi was shattered, and several pieces of debris struck her, wounding Lee Xiao'er and causing blood to trickle from the corner of her mouth.
Xing Yun closed in on her once more.
Unbeknownst to her, the area had become encircled by Stormblade Wolves and Rock Wolves!
Caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events, Lee Xiao'er found herself bewildered. She desperately sought to break through the encirclement and flee, but she was hemmed in by layers of wolves.
With the Rock Wolves' crumbling boulders and the Stormblade Wolves' slicing wind blades, there was no way Lee Xiao'er could escape without harm.
"When did they appear? I was vigilant the whole time!" Lee Xiao'er's panic was evident.
The Hellbeasts appeared as if from nowhere, their gaze fixed not on Xing Yun but on her.
Yet Xing Yun had already launched his attack, with the Greedy Wolves and the Stormblade Wolf King rushing to cut off Lee Xiao'er's escape.
"Then let's perish together!"
Realizing she was trapped, Lee Xiao'er began to gather spiritual energy within herself.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Xing Yun exclaimed.
"You dare insult me?" Lee Xiao'er was both frantic and furious.
"Do you really think you have the power to take me down with you?" Xing Yun said contemptuously.
Lee Xiao'er paused, taken aback. The infuriating young man before her moved with such speed that it was beyond her comprehension; escaping her self-destructive blast would be a breeze for him!
She regretted her impulsiveness and was even more astonished that it was Xing Yun who had warned her.
Xing Yun spoke solemnly, "You're out of options. I won't back down now. I'll give you three chances to kill me. If you fail, surrender."
With that, he commanded the wolves to clear a space.
Lee Xiao'er's eyebrows knitted together in determination. She hurled a dagger from her left hand straight at Xing Yun's heart and charged at him, her other dagger pulsing with the majority of the dark Qi from her body, thrusting three times in rapid succession!
Xing Yun remained calm, effortlessly deflecting the dagger with a single sword strike before advancing toward her. His sword, charged with golden Astral Power, swung fiercely.
One Sword Stems the Heavens!
The overwhelming Astral Power swept through, instantly sending an unprepared Lee Xiao'er flying.
Xing Yun advanced, pressing his sword tip to Lee Xiao'er's throat, and declared, "I told you, you're no match for me!"
Despite Lee Xiao'er's high level of cultivation at the peak of the Awakened Soul Realm, her application of spiritual Qi was inferior to that of a practitioner in the fourth or fifth level of the same realm. Ultimately, it was because she was out of sync with the power within her, unable to harness it with full intent.
Lee Xiao'er could only rely on her lethal technique. Any average warrior at the pinnacle of the Awakened Soul realm who failed to evade it would undoubtedly perish.
Despite her reluctance, Lee Xiao'er was not ready to back down. She declared firmly, "I am defeated. End it with a single stroke of your sword!"
"You really are unwell!"
Hearing the same taunt again sent Lee Xiao'er into a fit of hysteria. With tears in her eyes, she angrily retorted at Xing Yun, "You're the one who's unwell!"
Xing Yun burst into hearty laughter, "I've already told you, I have no intention of killing you!"
Lee Xiao'er paused, the memory of the saintess flooding her with sorrow. Overcome with emotion, she attempted to thrust the sword into her own throat!
Xing Yun quickly sheathed his sword and snatched Lee Xiao'er by the collar with his right hand, demanding, "What are you trying to do? I've said I won't kill you, yet you're so eager to die! If that's not madness, then what is?"
"Filthy rogue, release me!"
Lee Xiao'er desperately slapped at Xing Yun's hand, but to no avail. She was baffled as to why she, with her Awakened Soul Realm strength, could not overpower Xing Yun, who was merely a weakling from the Profound Fate Realm.