Yet she saw Lin Qi's eyes filled with terror as she reached out in warning. "Watch your back!"
By the time the voice reached her ears, a chill had already seeped through Tan Yueqing's entire body.
Her whole body seemed frozen in place. All she could hear was the rush of blood through her veins and the pounding of her heart, as though everything around her had vanished, leaving only herself.
A sharp blade gleaming with cold light pierced through Tan Yueqing's heart and emerged before her eyes.
Bright red blood seemed to crash into her vision, slowly spreading outward.
Behind Tan Yueqing, Fang Ling's eyes brimmed with redness, faintly concealing fear while seeming to laugh madly.
"Ha ha ha! Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Tan for saving my life with yours."
Fang Ling yanked the sword from her hand, and blood traced a round arc through the air before splattering onto the sparse grass below.
A smug gleam flashed in her eyes as she curled her lips into a faint smile. The features of her face shifted and rearranged at astonishing speed, soon forming the face of an entirely unfamiliar female cultivator.
Fang Ling raised her head and met Lin Qi's gaze from afar, her eyes brimming with provocation.
As if she were saying, You're next.
After provoking her, Fang Ling turned without hesitation and prepared to leave.
Lin Qi, suspended beyond more than ten formations, watched the scene expressionlessly.
Killing intent swiftly gathered in her eyes. Flecks of red seemed to glow within her dark pupils as an invisible sword instantly condensed.
Then came a clear phoenix cry.
Behind Lin Qi, the vague phantom of an ice phoenix suddenly raised its head and soared skyward. It moved so quickly that everyone saw only the afterimages of its tail