"Hm?"
A flash of surprise crossed the Snow Fairy’s eyes, quickly replaced by an even deeper chill. "You have some skill. No wonder you dared to stick your neck out!"
She raised a delicate hand. With a crisp CLANG, the ancient Longsword was already unsheathed.
The blade was like a pool of autumn water, shimmering with a flowing light. A biting, cold air instantly spread out, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet.
"Flying Snow!"
She let out a sharp cry. Her body followed the sword, transforming into a white Jing Hong. The light from her blade flared, sweeping toward Chen Li like a blizzard that blotted out the sky.
The Sword Momentum was not only incomparably sharp, but it also drew upon the water vapor in the air. It condensed into countless translucent, razor-edged snowflakes that danced and spiraled with the blade, slicing toward Chen Li’s vital points from all directions.
Chen Li took a deep breath. No longer underestimating his opponent, he stretched out his right hand, and the Qiankun Ruyi Staff appeared out of nowhere.
The staff hummed as immense Inner Qi surged through it. It wasn’t a particularly refined move, but it carried the True Dragon Tyrant Realm—an embodiment of brute force crushing all techniques.
The wind from the staff howled, forming an invisible wall of air. The sharp ice blades shattered into dust upon impact, unable to get anywhere near him.
CLANG CLANG CLANG...
The sound of metal on metal was as dense as a torrential downpour.
Each clash of staff and sword erupted in a brilliant flash of Qi Strength and a spray of scattered ice shards.
Chen Li felt a slight chill in his heart. ’Her Sword Qi is pure and sharp,’ he thought. ’And she can harness the world’s cold energy to bolster her versatile attacks.’
’With this Swordsmanship alone, she’s probably unmatched within her Realm!’
If he were still at the Inner Mansion Cultivation, dealing with this would have been extremely difficult. The slightest mistake would have meant defeat.
But now, he was at the Spirit Realm Fourth Level—the Divine Hall!
The difference in Realm was like a chasm between heaven and earth!
Meanwhile, the battle on the other side had also erupted.
Seeing the Snow Fairy tied up, the five Celestial Sword Sect disciples exchanged glances. They planned to capture Gossip first, then gang up on Chen Li.
However, the moment they moved, a crimson figure floated like a phantom between them and Gossip.
Linglong’s expression was grim. With a flick of her sleeves, two bands of White Silk shot out like living, spiritual snakes.
The White Silk was infused with the Xiang Sect’s unique, pliable Inner Strength—designed not for direct impact, but for tangling and restraining.
The five disciples roared in anger. Their Longswords flashed out in a dazzling array of lights as they tried to shred the White Silk.
But the White Silk was impossibly slippery, always dodging the blades by a hair’s breadth to precisely wrap around their wrists, ankles, or even the swords themselves.
Once latched on, it clung like a shadow. Pliable Inner Strength seeped into them, making their arms go numb and their footing unsteady.
After just a few exchanges, with a series of CLANGS, three of the disciples had their Longswords ripped from their grasp by the White Silk.
Then, the White Silk coiled like spiritual snakes, binding all five of them up tightly before throwing them to the ground, unable to struggle.
Naturally, the two combatants in the midst of their fierce battle noticed the commotion.
Seeing her disciples utterly defeated and her prolonged assault on Chen Li failing, the Snow Fairy was both shocked and enraged. Her Sword Momentum shifted again, becoming even faster and fiercer.
BANG!
For the first time, staff and sword truly met, letting out a heavy, resounding crash.
The Snow Fairy felt an unimaginable force travel up her blade, sending a sharp pain through her wrist and throwing her blood and qi into turmoil. She stumbled back several steps—THUD, THUD, THUD—before she could disperse the momentum, a look of shock on her face.
’Could it be... this person’s Cultivation... is he a Grandmaster?’ An incredulous thought rose in her mind.
No!
The moment the thought appeared, she dismissed it.
Grandmasters weren’t a dime a dozen. How could she just run into one out here?
Besides, she had been undercover in Hidden Emperor Castle for so long and had never seen a Grandmaster like him.
She glared at Chen Li, her voice growing colder with rage. "Who in the world are you? Do you know the consequences of making an enemy of my Celestial Sword Sect? The Celestial Sword Sect’s retribution is not something you can bear. At best, your family will be wiped out; at worst, your entire clan will be exterminated for nine generations. Hidden Emperor Castle is a cautionary tale!"
Chen Li stood with his staff, his expression calm. Seemingly ignoring her threat, he said flatly, "The Celestial Sword Sect. What a big name you throw around."
Killing intent flashed in the Snow Fairy’s eyes. "If you’re so determined to die, then I’ll grant your wish."
She unleashed the full power of her Inner Mansion Cultivation. The frigid air around her intensified, and her Longsword hummed without cease. A condensed, snow-white blade of light several feet long extended from its tip.
She was clearly about to unleash a more powerful killing blow.
Chen Li’s eyes grew cold. He wasn’t going to give her the chance.
The instant the Snow Fairy’s aura reached its peak, Chen Li moved.
He took a single step, his figure seeming to blur, leaving a faint afterimage in his place.
The Qiankun Ruyi Staff in his hand came crashing straight down with no frills.
Qiankun Strike!
This attack looked simple, but it was one of the strongest moves of the Qiankun Qi Wandering Dragon Staff—a perfect strike combining Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
His Divine Hall Cultivation erupted completely.
’No matter your thousand techniques or ten thousand transformations, I will shatter them all with one strike!’
The Snow Fairy’s pupils shrank. She felt a terrifying pressure, like a mountain crashing down, that stole her breath.
Forcing herself to focus, she shrieked and swung her sword upward with all her might. A blade of light dozens of yards long erupted from her Longsword, brilliant to the extreme, as she attempted to meet the staff head-on.
CLANG!
A deafening crash echoed.
Where the staff and sword met, Qi Strength exploded outward, scraping a layer off the ground.
The Longsword in the Snow Fairy’s hand let out a sorrowful cry. The irresistible force knocked it from her grasp, and it flew off as a streak of cold light, disappearing into the darkness.
The webbing between her thumb and forefinger split open, dripping with blood. Her entire right arm hung limply at her side, and the blood and qi in her body roiled like boiling water.
"PFFT!"
She spat a mouthful of blood. Her beautiful face turned white as paper as she was sent flying dozens of yards before crashing heavily to the ground.
She struggled to stand, only to find that the tyrannical Inner Qi had severely damaged her internal organs, leaving her completely paralyzed.
’This! How is this possible!’
Her eyes filled with incredulous horror and fear!
Chen Li retracted his staff and stood tall. His cold gaze swept over Gossip, then over the Celestial Sword Sect disciples bound by Linglong.
The battle was over in an instant.
Linglong’s figure flickered, and she drifted like a phantom to the side of the heavily injured Snow Fairy.
With a flick of her fair hand, the White Silk shot out like a snake from its hole, instantly binding the Snow Fairy so tightly she couldn’t move.
She leaned down, her slender fingers gently stroking the Snow Fairy’s pale yet still exquisitely beautiful cheek.
Her red lips curled into a lazy smile. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... Such a beauty, all icy skin and Jade Bone. Even I feel a stir of pity."
She turned her head, her gaze flowing toward Chen Li, her tone full of clear instigation. "Master, why don’t you let this servant take her back to the brothel? Once she’s learned some manners, I’ll send her to you for a taste."
"You harlot! Shut your mouth!"
The Snow Fairy trembled with rage, her beautiful eyes blazing with boundless anger and humiliation. "Kill me if you’re going to kill me! Don’t you dare humiliate me like this! The Celestial Sword Sect will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"
Linglong’s gaze danced as her fingertip slid across the Snow Fairy’s cold, trembling lips. "The rumors all say, the more pure, holy, and distant a Fairy seems on the outside, the greater the contrast on the inside. I wonder just how fiery and seductive you are underneath..."