Brother Jiang, Speak Louder!

"Who?"

"Me..."

"Yuni..."

At the Black Tortoise City Lord Residence, Luo Qinchang, who was watering the potted plants inside, hurriedly opened the door upon hearing the voice.

Outside, the woman, still cold and aloof as ever, leaned against the doorframe.

"Yuni, you're hurt?"

"No... I've come to say goodbye."

"Come in and talk."

"Mm."

Jiang Yuni entered the room. After Luo Qinchang shut the door and cast a spell to prevent anyone from spying, she turned around and watched Jiang Yuni take tiny steps forward. Coupled with the girl's slightly flushed face from earlier, a bold guess suddenly sprang into Luo Qinchang's mind.

"Huh? Qinchang, what are you doing?"

Just as Jiang Yuni sat down on a stool, Luo Qinchang seized her soft, boneless little hand, closed her eyes, and used her Divine Sense to probe Jiang Yuni's physical condition.

Though somewhat embarrassed, Jiang Yuni let down her defenses before her close friend and did not stop Luo Qinchang.

"Oh my god... Yuni, you..."

Opening her eyes, Luo Qinchang covered her small mouth in shock and rose to her feet. Now, it was not only Jiang Yuni—Luo Qinchang's cheeks had flushed crimson as well.

"Mm..." Jiang Yuni turned her head away and softly responded, confirming that it was exactly as Luo Qinchang had discovered.

"Oh my god... Yuni... I thought you were just talking big. I never expected you to really make a move on Little Lin. This is the first time I've learned that you can actually be so bold."

As if she had learned news greater than the heavens, Luo Qinchang tightly hugged Jiang Yuni from behind.

"No wonder I kept thinking Yuni had become more womanly. So that's what it was. But Little Lin really is something—I thought he was so innocent. Who would've thought... tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Actually, it wasn't quite..." Jiang Yuni said softly, her voice growing lower and lower. "Actually, Little Lin was unconscious at the time, and then I used some..."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just think Little Lin is far too blessed, while I'm a little sad."

"What are you sad about?" Killing Intent suddenly spread through the air.

"No, no, no! After the Bewildering Secret Realm, your Sun Moon Dual Cultivation Great Art was completed too, and you successfully broke through to the Jade Purity Realm. A Jade Purity Realm Sword Cultivator—there's no way I can beat you, and I wouldn't dare steal your man."

Luo Qinchang hurriedly explained herself. Otherwise, if this adorable woman with such a small heart mistook her for someone trying to steal her man, Black Tortoise City would probably be torn apart by her.

"I was just thinking—you've already stepped across the threshold into adulthood, while I'm still an old maiden. It makes me a little sad."

"Then go find yourself a man."

"Mm, I think Little Lin is pretty good."

Jiang Yuni smiled faintly and said kindly, "Qinchang, you can give it a try."

"Forget it, forget it, I was just joking." Hugging the charming yet icy woman from behind—the woman who also loved getting jealous like a little girl—Luo Qinchang softly asked, "How did it feel?"

"How did what feel?"

"You know."

"Qinchang! You're courting death!"

"Alright, alright, I really know I was wrong."

Luo Qinchang hurriedly ran away.

"Forget it, I won't talk to you about this anymore. I didn't just come to bid you farewell—I also have something to ask of you."

"Is it about Little Lin?"

Jiang Yuni nodded. "Although I broke through this time, because I did so within the Bewildering Secret Realm, and the Bewildering Secret Realm cannot permit Jade Purity Realm cultivators to remain within it, I was expelled from the secret realm. I haven't had time to stabilize my realm yet. I'm returning to the Sun Moon Sect to enter seclusion for a while, and it will probably take quite some time. When Little Lin comes out of the secret realm, please protect him. Also, you can tell Little Lin that I've entered seclusion, but find some other excuse. Don't tell him anything about what happened to me in the secret realm, understand?"

"Alright, I know. You already share the reality of Dao Companions, yet you're still so shy. Yuni really is adorable."

"Thank you."

Jiang Yuni dodged Luo Qinchang's groping little hand and said nothing more. Her Natal Flying Sword hovered in the air, and Jiang Yuni flew out through the window on her sword.

"If there's a child, let me know! I absolutely have to be the child's godmother!"

Watching Jiang Yuni gradually disappear, Luo Qinchang waved and shouted loudly. Though the woman seated upon the sword remained expressionless, crimson had already spread all the way to her ears...

Within the Bewildering Secret Realm...

As the circle kept shrinking—and at an extremely fast pace—practically everyone was Running from the Poison...

On the Dragon Gate Sect's side, only Lin Qingwan, Qin Xiao, and a Junior Sister who had entered the sect a few months after Jiang Lin remained.

As a sect of Martial Warriors, the Tyrant Fist Sect had only three Martial Warriors left upon reaching the Final Circle.

Aside from them, the all-female Fallen Flower Sect had only one Eldest Senior Sister remaining.

In addition, four or five other Sects each had only two or three cultivators left. The Dugu Demonic Sect had naturally been wiped out to the last man, while the Sun Moon Sect was left with only Jiang Lin, Fang Chaoqun, and Chen Jia.

There was only one person claiming to be a Wild Mountain Cultivator: a graceful girl wearing a Bamboo Hat. Jiang Lin did not even need to see her face to know that she was Xiao Xueli.

By then, the Shrinking Circle had stopped. Everyone had been driven into a desert a hundred li in diameter, where the final showdown would unfold. Practically every person and every Sect was engaged in battle.

For instance, Lin Qingwan and Xiao Xueli.

For some reason, the two of them should not have known each other at all, yet they had started fighting in earnest—and with vicious attacks at that. Jiang Lin thought it was fortunate that they were both Sword Cultivators. If they had been Martial Warriors, they might have been yanking each other's hair by now.

"Great Fireball Technique!"

"Boom!"

Some fool from some Sect unleashed an Ultimate Move at his opponent, only to miss. The fireball crashed straight down before a sand dune, kicking up countless grains of sand and dust and covering Jiang Lin and Fang Chaoqun, who were hiding behind it, from head to toe.

"Peh..." Jiang Lin wiped his face and spat out several mouthfuls of yellow sand, then dug Fang Chaoqun out from beside him. "Brother Fang, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Boom...

Another fireball landed behind them, splashing sand all over their faces again. It was not huge, but it was not small either.

Across the desert battlefield, war flames raged without end. The clash of blades and the roar of explosions rang out one after another.

Wiping his face, Fang Chaoqun spat out sand and shouted, "Brother Jiang, what do we do next?"

"Wait for the right moment!"

Jiang Lin shouted back at the top of his lungs.

"What?" Fang Chaoqun had not heard him clearly.

"I said! Wait for the right moment!"

"The wind's too strong!"

"Damn it! We'll just lie low!"

"I understand! Brother Jiang wants to be the oriole behind the mantis!"

"No! I'm in bad shape right now—I can't beat them at all. Lying low is enough!"

"What?"

"I said! I'm in bad shape!"

"Brother Jiang, speak louder!"

"I fell victim to the Secret Realm Demoness's poisonous hands! My body's weak now!"

"..."

All at once, the battlefield fell silent. Dozens of pairs of eyes turned together toward that little sand dune...