Hiss, hiss, hiss!
The finger technique's attack was just as sharp. Several clusters of light shot out in an instant and struck the Jiaoying, piercing several holes through its armor. This time, it wasn't just me who was surprised—even Xianli wore a look of astonishment.
But the wounded Jiaoying immediately pounced at us. Two booming impacts rang out, and dust instantly billowed from the ground, making even the great trees sway!
"This beast is savage! We're no match for it!" Xianli cried out, apparently unaware that her finger technique had just pierced its defenses.
Breaking through its defenses meant the Jiaoying could be defeated, yet Xianli's cry instead filled me with doubt. Could we really still lose to it? Going by the usual pattern, this monster should have been nothing more than a delivery of materials for me.
Thus, still half-believing and half-doubting, I immediately said, "Xianli, go stand aside. I want to test myself against it!"
Xianli grabbed me and hurriedly said, "We can't beat it! In the past, Master sent me to gather herbs. I wanted to take a shortcut and went to gather them near the back mountain. If Master hadn't arrived in time when I first ran into it, I would have been finished!"
"What cultivation realm were you in back then?" I asked anxiously.
"I was also in the Foundation Establishment Realm..." Xianli stubbornly refused to let me go. I immediately said, "You're about to enter the Crystal Formation Realm now! Just look at those finger-sized holes you made!"
"That still won't do. Jiaoying are incredibly powerful!" Xianli remained rather lacking in confidence.
"Then I'll draw its attacks and hold them off while you harry it from the side. If that doesn't work, the two of us can run away afterward, all right?" Before I