She composed herself and took the battle a little more seriously.
Mu Jin wiped the water from his face and let out a cold laugh. "So what if you're at the Golden Core realm? I didn't get where I am today without killing Golden Core cultivators before!"
With a low shout, ferocious Sword Qi erupted from the ground. Killing intent surged like rolling waves, uprooting trees in every direction.
This Slaughter Sword Intent turned the intangible into the tangible, weaving and converging before Yuan Xi as it went straight for her life.
Yuan Xi remained unhurried. She tossed her longsword into the air, spiritual energy surging at her fingertips.
Countless phantom sword lights spun before her, every blade wrapped in slender strands of Water Silk that radiated an icy chill.
Mu Jin's Slaughter Sword Intent swept toward her, crashing fiercely against the phantom sword lights.
Yuan Xi held a sword in hand and calmly performed Tai Chi Swordplay.
The rigid, violent Sword Qi rushed before her, only to be lightly blocked and shattered in an instant.
Using softness to overcome hardness, she displayed it to the fullest.
Countless slender strands of Water Silk circled around her, moving with her sword forms and shattering every trace of Slaughter Sword Intent into nothingness.
Mu Jin had not expected Yuan Xi to break his Sword Intent trapping formation so easily, and his expression grew more solemn.
While Yuan Xi resisted the Sword Qi, he closed the distance. His longsword flashed like a rainbow, killing intent churning as it tore through the Water Silk all the way toward Yuan Xi's face.
In the flash of a spark, Yuan Xi raised her longsword to block. Spiritual energy burst in all directions, forcing both of them back several steps.
Within a few breaths, the two were locked in combat again.
Sword Qi cleaved mountains, Water Silk coiled around blades, long dragons roared, and cold light split the sky.
Wave after wave of thunderous impacts soared into the heavens, alerting the evil cultivators carrying out a sacrifice not far away.
Just as the priestess Gu Ming pulled out the dagger in her hand, the repeated sounds of exploding water disturbed her. She turned and ordered, "Send someone to find out what happened."
Her deputy asked worriedly, "Lady Gu Ming, could it be that someone from Ming City discovered something?"
"If Ming City had discovered something and still dared to make such a commotion in the dead of night, then they would truly be idiots beyond saving."
"That's true..."
Gu Ming stepped onto the sacrificial platform and flipped the dagger in her palm. Cold light drew an afterimage as the sacrifice's flesh was sliced open.
The evil cultivators lined up below cried out excitedly, deep hunger flowing from their eyes as madness twisted their faces.
Gu Ming curled her red lips, her eyes glimmering as she smiled in satisfaction.
Before long, the scout returned, bringing a Grey-robed Daoist with him.
"Lady Priestess, two cultivators are fighting by Luo Jiao Lake. This man was sneaking around behind them, and we don't know what he was trying to do!"
At the word "priestess," the Grey-robed Daoist shuddered instinctively.
Black robes embroidered with red flowers, venomous as a serpent and scorpion; a purple-gold mask, beside flowers of the other shore.
She was Gu Ming, the Priestess, one of the Twelve Priests!
"L-Lady Gu Ming, spare my life! I serve under Lord Gu Hun. Please, let me go."
Gu Ming parted her red lips, her voice alluring. "One of Gu Hun's people? How did you end up on my territory?"
"W-We had originally targeted three little children. Who knew they were disciples who had come out of a sect? Their talent was greater than the last. Not only did we fail to take them down, we nearly got ourselves killed."
"I wasn't willing to let the mission fail just like that, so I kept following the three of them, waiting for a chance to strike. I never expected to accidentally wander onto your territory..."
"Each one more talented than the last?" Gu Ming slowly repeated in her seductive voice.
The Grey-robed Daoist nodded furiously. "The oldest one never made a move, but two of them looked only five or six years old and already had Fifth Stage Qi Refining cultivation... I truly couldn't bear to give up on them, so I followed them all the way."
"Couldn't bear to?"
Gu Ming swayed down the steps, lifting the Grey-robed Daoist's chin with her pale, slender fingers. "Couldn't bear to give up, or couldn't swallow this insult?"
"From the sound of that fight, they are at least at Great Perfection Foundation Establishment. Are you so unwilling to live a little longer that you are in such a hurry to throw your life away?"
The Grey-robed Daoist was forced to lift his head. The moment his eyes met Gu Ming's, it was as if a needle had been driven into his brain. Pain twisted his face.
More than a dozen breaths later, Gu Ming released him, rose to her feet, and lowered her gaze to wipe her fingertips.
The Grey-robed Daoist collapsed stiffly to the ground. His eyes were vacant and unfocused; after twitching a few times, he stopped moving.
Only after wiping her hands clean did Gu Ming slowly say, "I'm taking the heads of those three!"
Geniuses?
Geniuses were what she loved most!
Swords collided, tearing out a shower of sparks. The powerful currents of air flattened everything within a radius of ten li.
More than half the water in Luo Jiao Lake had vanished. Cracks crisscrossed the ground, filled with lake water.
Shrubs lay scattered in all directions, some reduced to powder, with wreckage strewn everywhere.
Just as the sword light faded, a transparent strand of Water Silk chased wind and clouds, tearing through the void with unstoppable momentum as it shot straight toward Mu Jin's face.
Mu Jin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes.
He used his finger as a blade and cut open his palm. Bright red blood gushed forth.
Mu Jin drew a talisman in the air. The blood-red trail dragged a long tail through the void as the spiritual energy in his dantian rapidly drained away.
"We've made such a huge commotion fighting, and you still want my life?"
A sinister smile appeared on his pale face.
Yuan Xi looked at him coldly. "We have a personal grudge. If I want to kill you, why would I need so many excuses?"
"You..." At that moment, Mu Jin almost could not stop himself from swearing.
He was indeed arrogant by nature, but he truly had no idea how he had offended this little girl. From the very first day they met, her killing intent toward him had soared to the heavens.
He had clearly been the one suffering losses all along, hadn't he?!!
Yuan Xi performed the Vertical Thunder Art, nimbly pulling her sword from the ground as spiritual energy instantly covered it.
The blade trembled, and powerful airwaves spread outward like ripples. She swept her sword, its tip pointing straight at Mu Jin.
"Your spiritual energy is nearly exhausted. Dragging this out is meaningless!"
"You saw through me? Heh."
Mu Jin chuckled softly. The blood talisman in his hand had already formed. "But the time is about right."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Xi's Water Silk had already reached him. Mu Jin raised his sword to block, and under the enhancement of the blood-red rune, an impregnable barrier formed around him.
Yuan Xi stood in the air with her sword in hand, her tone calm.
"When a sword cultivator's sword can only be used for defense, you have already lost."
Mu Jin's eyes reddened as he mobilized all the spiritual energy in his body to resist the Water Silk.
Just as he was about to retort, he saw Yuan Xi perform Tai Chi Swordplay again, crazily gathering spiritual energy from all around.
His eyes widened in shock, and he murmured softly, "So this is the strength of sect cultivators?"
The moment his words fell, Yuan Xi's sword form had gathered enough momentum, all the spiritual energy in her body converging at the sword tip.
The overwhelming pressure left Mu Jin unable to breathe.
A drop of water fell from the void, landing on the mirror-bright sword tip.
Yuan Xi held the sword in one hand and flicked her fingertip through the air.
Water elements from every direction were all stirred into motion. Countless droplets floated in the void, while Luo Jiao Lake in the distance heaved with towering waves.
First chapter today. The second one will probably be later; I inhaled too much carbon monoxide while warming myself by the fire, and my head hurts a little.
Before you continue