Recalling what the disciples had said about the characteristics of Xiangling's secret technique, I immediately stopped her meridians from circulating any further. Then a stream of energy suddenly pierced into them, forcibly using the Spirit-Absorbing Method to drain all the energy from her body, while my other hand once again seized firm control of the Divine Sword Tai'a, cutting off its energy supply.
Xiangling finally quieted down, but I still couldn't find any sign of vitality. As more and more of her aura was extracted, I even felt her life force disappearing along with it. That was something I couldn't accept. Yet if I didn't drain all her power, the two completely different forces would clash upon entering her body, smashing her meridians beyond recognition. By then, the destruction of her inheritance would lead to the same result—death and the dissipation of her cultivation.
With either disastrous outcome possible, I chose to trust that Shaozi and the others knew how to resolve it. After withdrawing the Tai'a Sword, I signaled to Yun Jun, who teleported me back. After all, getting out as quickly as possible would also prevent the Black Robe from playing any tricks on me. He still hadn't given me the Heavenly Mandate Cauldron.
Standing by the teleportation array, the corners of Black Robe's lips lifted into a faint smile. He said, "This child seems to have run into a small problem. She's lost her original vitality."
I frowned and looked at the Heavenly Mandate Cauldron. "You lost both semifinal matches. According to our agreement, this Heavenly Mandate Cauldron is mine."
"Of course. Given your current condition, you clearly need this cauldron's help even more. Take it." Black Robe didn't dwell on the outcome. With a wave of his hand, he sent the Heavenly Mandate Cauldron toward me.