The two of them had no choice but to withdraw their hands and look toward the newcomer.
Meng Anli was stunned.
It was actually Meng Qing.
An expert secretly nurtured by Meng Liangmiao.
He was already a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, thirty levels above her.
They had even called him here. It seemed they were determined to win this time.
Meng Anli knew she had only one chance to strike.
If she could not hold him back with a single blow, she would be in grave danger.
Fortunately, Meng Qing was fire-elemental.
Her water could restrain fire.
Meng Anli gathered all her magic power into her palm, condensing it into an enormous water sphere before hurling it fiercely at Meng Qing.
Meng Qing neither dodged nor evaded. With a gesture of his left hand, a string of fire dragons easily swallowed her water sphere.
After launching the water sphere, Meng Anli went to pull Lu Yao again.
But with a chop of Meng Qing's right hand, he forced them back once more.
The other members of the Meng family seized the chance to act, once again pressing weapons to Meng Anli's neck.
Lu Yao was also captured by Meng Xiuchen.
Meng Qing descended and said expressionlessly, "Please return to the manor, Eldest Miss."
"Come here," Meng Anli beckoned to him.
Without the slightest hesitation, Meng Qing walked over and stopped beside her.
Meng Anli froze water into ice, flinging three ice blades toward his chest.
Just as they were about to pierce him, the ice blades shattered inch by inch, turning into mist.
Even after being ambushed, Meng Qing remained expressionless. "Before absolute strength, any schemes and tricks are nothing but wasted effort."
Meng Anli gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Meng Xiuchen let out a pained howl.
Lu Yao had thrown a packet of poisonous powder at his face.
While Meng Xiuchen writhed in pain, she broke free of her restraints and ran toward Meng Anli.
Meng Xiuchen shouted, "Kill her!"
While Meng Qing looked in that direction, Meng Anli also tossed out a packet of medicinal powder.
Seeing Meng Xiuchen in such agony, the other Meng family members hurriedly dodged away.
Meng Anli took the opportunity to run toward Lu Yao.
Meng Qing tried to raise his hand, only to discover that he could not move at all.
He was somewhat surprised.
Meng Anli finally caught Lu Yao's hand and shot into the air just as an arrow was about to pierce Lu Yao's back.
After flying only a few dozen li, she was forcibly yanked back by an immense force.
Meng Anli lightly struck Lu Yao with her palm. "Go to the academy's Qin Zhai and bring reinforcements."
"Anli!"
Watching her fall, Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before flying toward the academy.
Meng Anli crashed heavily onto the ground, every bone in her body aching dully.
She had returned to where she had been moments ago.
Yet Meng Anli was relieved. As long as A Yao had escaped, it was enough.
Meng Qing withdrew his stance and looked down at her from above. "I told you, before absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are futile. Eldest Miss, you should obediently return to the Meng family with us."
"Dream on!"
"You don't know what's good for you." Meng Xiuchen's face was covered in red rashes, and one eye twitched violently. He raised his foot to stomp on Meng Anli's hand.
An ice blade shot from Meng Anli's hand and stabbed viciously into his foot.
"Aaaah!" Meng Xiuchen hopped about clutching his foot.
Meng Anli took the chance to roll over and run.
A fireball slammed heavily into the center of her back, and fire poison instantly burned through all five of her organs and six bowels.
Pain sent her spinning several times through the air before she crashed heavily to the ground.
She still landed at Meng Qing's feet.
Pity colored Meng Qing's gaze as he looked at her. "Why struggle so bitterly? You only need to go home."
Meng Anli's eyes swelled and her head throbbed from the burning. She wished she could simply pass out and die.
She bit down hard on her lip, and the bloody taste stabbed her awake.
Using the last thread of her magic power, she sent an ice blade stabbing toward Meng Qing.
But before the ice blade could even approach Meng Qing, it melted away.
Meng Qing crouched down. "You cannot escape. You will only make yourself suffer more."
Meng Anli felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
Yet her internal organs seemed to be repeatedly stir-fried over flames.
It made it impossible for her to faint.
Gritting her teeth, she cursed, "Meng Qing, if you have even a shred of conscience, you should remember how I treated your injuries, gave you food, and brought you back to the Meng family."
She had not wanted to use kindness as leverage, so she had never mentioned it.
But now, she wanted to live.
"You?" Confusion filled Meng Qing's eyes, along with a trace of shock.
Meng Anli took the chance to crawl forward.
"Meng Anli, go die!"
Meng Xiuchen thrust a spear at her throat.
Meng Anli rolled aside to evade it, and her dried-up Spiritual Power instantly brimmed full.
Had she broken through?
Meng Xiuchen stabbed toward her again.
She raised her hand to block.
Meng Qing also came to his senses and raised a hand to stop Meng Xiuchen.
The next instant, thunder roared, and a thick bolt of purplish-red lightning the width of a bowl struck down at Meng Anli.
Meng Qing dodged aside.
Meng Xiuchen hurriedly tried to evade it, but as he raised his spear, he drew the lightning onto himself. The strike made his whole body convulse.
Meng Anli rose to her feet and laughed heartily.
Another bolt of lightning fell.
Meng Anli flew toward Meng Xiuchen.
Having just been struck once, Meng Xiuchen rolled across the ground in terror.
"Don't come over!"
Lightning from a breakthrough carried heavenly punishment. It could hurt all the way into the cracks of one's bones, as though even the soul were being torn apart.
Meng Anli dodged just as the lightning was about to strike, and the bolt slammed heavily into Meng Xiuchen again.
Another thunderbolt rumbled.
Meng Anli lunged toward Meng Qing.
Meng Qing dodged.
But Meng Anli seized his arm in a death grip.
Meng Qing tried to struggle free, but could not shake her off.
What a joke. She could even hold onto Yuan Tuo tightly.
Left with no choice, Meng Qing raised his hand to throw a fireball at her.
Meng Anli blinked her innocent peach blossom eyes. "When we first met at the bottomless pit of Chongwu Mountain, if I had known you were such an ungrateful person..."
Clouds surged in Meng Qing's previously still, ancient-well-like eyes.
The lightning tribulation arrived.
Meng Anli instantly released him and retreated three zhang away.
Meng Qing took the lightning strike head-on.
Three bolts should be enough, Meng Anli thought. Yet as she moved, the spiritual energy within her rapidly filled to the brim again, followed by another crisp crack.
She had reached a realm she had never entered before.
This was... the Nascent Soul Realm?
As she thought that, another bolt of lightning fell from the sky.
Without hesitation, Meng Anli grabbed Meng Qing again.
"Strike this ungrateful wretch dead!"
Meng Qing had only just recovered when another bolt split down upon his head.
Meng Anli laughed freely and turned her head toward the Meng family members who wanted to flee.
"Next, it's your turn."
Thunder rumbled through the sky above Heavenly Mountain. During the earlier fight, her hairpin had come completely loose, and her waterfall-like long hair streamed in the wind. With the smile at her lips and her blood-red teeth, she looked like a vicious ghost from hell come to claim souls.
She raised her hand and formed a seal. "Bind."
A stream of water condensed into rope-like cords, binding them all together.
Meng Anli flew toward them, drew the lightning over, then swiftly retreated.
The lightning coursed into the water ropes, doubling in power as it darted back and forth among them.
It shocked every one of them until their bones went soft and their sinews numb.
"Meng Anli! How can you be so vicious?"
Meng Anli turned back to look at the shouting Meng Xiuchen.
She curled her lips into a light smile. "Thank you for the reminder. It's your turn now~"
She lunged at him, slamming into him together with the lightning chasing after her.
Meng Xiuchen was struck in the abdomen, sending his head and feet flying upward before he crashed heavily onto the ground and convulsed.
Thunder continued to rumble.
Meng Anli walked toward Meng Qing. "Your turn, noble Primordial Unity Golden Immortal."
Meng Qing's lips trembled as he turned to run.
The lightning tribulation possessed awareness. If it did not strike Meng Anli, it would assume someone was taking the tribulation for her, and its force would double compared to striking her directly.
It had been a long time since he had suffered pain like this.
He had to run.
But how could he possibly outrun Meng Anli?
Meng Anli swept past him and lightly brushed the corner of his robe. The lightning immediately roared down upon him.
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