The Sword That Became a Guardian!

The wind and snow filling the sky seemed to freeze in place.

The Luoshen Sword in Luo Li's hand stopped beside Bing Tianxiao's neck. Its sharp edge had already cut through a bit of skin, drawing a bead of blood.

Yet her movements had frozen.

Because a cold black-feathered arrow was pressed firmly against the exact center of her forehead.

The arrowhead had pierced her fair, jade-like skin. A drop of bright-red blood slowly slid down the bridge of her nose and dripped onto the snow, an especially shocking sight.

The terrifying force contained within the arrow had been drawn but not released. As long as Bing Tianxiao loosened his finger, she would die.

The two of them breathed against each other, their breaths warm and hurried.

Luo Li looked at the eyes so close to hers.

Those eyes, which usually carried a hint of teasing and laziness, were now as deep as a bottomless abyss. Her slightly pale face was reflected in them.

She had lost.

At the moment between life and death, Bing Tianxiao had exchanged an injury for the chance to deliver a killing blow.

"You win."

Luo Li's voice was soft, yet calm.

She slowly closed her eyes, seemingly waiting for the final outcome.

She was inferior in skill. There was only death.

Yet the expected pain never came.

"Tsk."

A somewhat helpless click of the tongue rang out.

The killing intent that had built up for so long receded like a tide at that moment.

Bing Tianxiao slowly relaxed the taut bowstring and moved the arrow away.

"That's enough, Heroine."

Bing Tianxiao put away his longbow and casually wiped the blood from his neck.

Luo Li opened her eyes and stared blankly at him.

"Why?"

"Why are there so many questions? Just take it as me not wanting to lose such a compatible friend."

Bing Tianxiao smiled helplessly.

It was undeniable that five months ago, he had spared Luo Li because of her background.

But after spending this much time with her, he had developed a certain softness toward the girl.

"Friend..."

Luo Li murmured softly, somewhat dazed.

That word was far too unfamiliar to her, and far too extravagant.

The girl raised a finger and gently touched the bright-red wound on her forehead.

The slight pain from her fingertip told her that all of this was real.

Luo Li took a deep breath, her long silver hair dancing in the wind.

The confusion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by determination and devotion.

"Bing Tianxiao."

Bing Tianxiao, who was about to prepare some food, stopped and turned back in confusion. "What is it now?"

Luo Li's glasslike eyes looked straight at Bing Tianxiao, as if she were making a solemn vow:

"Since you're my friend, then..."

"Within the Spirit Road, I, Luo Li, am willing to become the sword that guards you."

"Wherever your arrows point, that is where my sword will strike. I will cut down every obstacle in your path!"

Bing Tianxiao froze.

He looked at the girl before him, her face utterly serious, as if she were making a life-and-death pact.

A moment later, the corners of his mouth lifted into a radiant smile. He extended his fist toward Luo Li.

"Then this sword is going to be rather expensive."

"But... deal."

"Clack."

Their fists lightly bumped together, producing a soft sound.

Bing Tianxiao withdrew his hand, in an excellent mood.

He casually pulled a withered blade of grass from the snow and held it between his teeth. With both hands behind his head, he asked:

"Since we're partners now, shouldn't you share some information with me?

For the past five months, I've known nothing about the outside world. What's the situation on the Spirit Road now?"

Actually, that was all nonsense.

As a veteran with extraordinary scouting abilities, Bing Tianxiao already knew the current situation on the Spirit Road like the back of his hand.

Ji Xuan was now at the height of his power, having recruited a large number of experts and showing faint signs of dominating the Spirit Road.

Then there were Wen Qingxuan and Mu Chen.

The reason he asked was purely because... he wanted to hear the girl say a few more words.

After all, for the past five months, Luo Li's tone toward him had been cold enough to freeze over.

Now that they had finally gone from enemies to friends, he certainly would not let this opportunity pass.

Luo Li clearly had not noticed Bing Tianxiao's little scheme.

She was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Bing Tianxiao to ask about this, but then she put on a serious expression.

"Of the hundred or so people who entered the Final Spirit Road this time, Ji Xuan has gathered seventy or eighty of them.

And that girl named Wen Qingxuan also has twenty or thirty people under her command.

The rest are us and a few unaffiliated people led by someone named Mu Chen."

Luo Li's voice was crisp and pleasant, like pearls falling onto a jade plate. In this frozen, snowy land, it sounded especially soothing.

Bing Tianxiao held the grass stem between his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

He had barely listened to the content at all, focusing instead on the girl's serious expression as she spoke.

"...That's more or less the situation."

Luo Li raised her head, about to ask Bing Tianxiao what his plans were.

But she discovered that he was staring at her with a half-smiling expression. There was not much gravity toward the situation in his eyes. Instead, there was a hint of...

The malicious amusement of someone teasing a cat?

Luo Li was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.

Her delicate face instantly flushed with a thin layer of anger, and she glared at him with her glasslike eyes.

"Are you messing with me?"

"How could I?"

Bing Tianxiao immediately put away his smile and began spouting nonsense with a solemn expression:

"I was just marveling at how thorough your analysis was! Listening to you for a moment is better than reading books for ten years!

Since that Ji Xuan is being so conspicuous, our next target is obvious."

He stood up and patted the snow from his backside, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. We happen to have a grudge against him, so we'll settle it together."

At his words, Luo Li's brows, which had just relaxed, creased slightly once more.

She had not been swept away by Bing Tianxiao's seemingly bold words. As the Imperial Daughter of the Luo Shen Clan, the education she had received since childhood allowed her to maintain absolute rationality and composure at all times.

If they were outside, where spiritual energy was available, this would not be much of a problem.

But this was the Spirit Road, where spiritual energy did not exist.

"Of course the grudge must be settled, but..."

Luo Li lowered her head, hesitation and gravity in her voice.

"Didn't you hear me clearly just now? Ji Xuan has a full seventy or eighty people on his side."

"Moreover, none of those who have survived until now are weak."

She raised her head and looked straight at Bing Tianxiao with her clear eyes, analyzing the situation seriously.

"We only have two people."

Luo Li was not afraid of losing.

She simply did not want the alliance they had just formed to be destroyed by a moment of impulsiveness and Ji Xuan's strength in numbers.

"Who said we were going to confront them head-on?"

Looking at Luo Li's expression, Bing Tianxiao could not help reaching out, wanting to rub her head.

But when his palm was about to touch that silver hair, he seemed to remember something and awkwardly pulled it back.

Instead, he rubbed his nose and chuckled.

"Within the Spirit Road, the terrain is complicated and danger lurks everywhere. Having more people isn't always an advantage. Sometimes, it's actually a burden."

"Seventy or eighty people gathered together move slowly and make a huge target. We can use spirit beasts to take them out."