Before his voice had even faded, a pair of hands wrapped in ice appeared between him and the golden sword.
The hands were as fair as jade, with long, slender fingers covered in a thin layer of frost.
With a gentle squeeze of those delicate hands, the golden sword was caught between what seemed like two icebergs. It could no longer advance by even the slightest bit.
"Crack—"
She applied a little pressure with two fingers, and the golden sword shattered into golden specks of light that slowly faded away in the air.
Mu Sining withdrew her hands. The frost receded from her fingertips, revealing the fair, smooth skin beneath.
Liu Xuantong's legs went weak, and he nearly lost his balance. Cold sweat covered his forehead.
Forcing his unsteady body to stand, Liu Xuantong glared viciously at Jiang Tian, then turned to Mu Sining. His voice was edged with hysteria. "Senior Sister! Kill him! We don't know where this man came from. He could well be a White Lotus Sect spy planted in Blackwater County!"
He'd slapped a lofty charge on Jiang Tian in a hurry, and with all the force he could muster.
Jiang Tian's gaze flickered. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his body tensed like a bow drawn to its limit.
Gold Qi surged through his body, streaming along his meridians, ready to erupt at any moment.
Mu Sining truly lived up to her red trait. With just two fingers, she'd neutralized his strongest technique.
But if he wanted to leave, Mu Sining still couldn't stop him.
"Jiang Tian."
Mu Sining's red lips parted. Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes still betrayed no emotion.
She didn't ask where he'd learned the Qi Gathering Method or when he'd begun gathering qi. She merely said, in a calm voice:
"Would you be willing to join the Heavenly Fire Sect?"
At her words, Liu Xuantong's eyes bulged beside her. His mouth opened and closed, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.
The villain in front of them had nearly killed him just moments ago!
"Senior Sister! He—"
"Be quiet."
Mu Sining's brows drew together. This time, there was some emotion in her eyes; they were no longer as placid as before.
Disgust.
Liu Xuantong seemed to have choked on something. A "gulp" rose from his throat, and he didn't dare say another word.
Jiang Tian's gaze shifted.
After seeing the red trait above Mu Sining's head, he'd indeed become even more eager to join the Heavenly Fire Sect. He could meet more people with high-level traits and try to upgrade his own trait to gold, gaining even more powerful techniques.
But Liu Xuantong...
Mu Sining seemed to notice the concern in Jiang Tian's eyes. Her expression remained calm as she said, "The Heavenly Fire Sect treats every disciple equally. You needn't worry about being treated unfairly in the sect."
Jiang Tian nodded and replied solemnly, "All right."
A golden trait... I can hardly wait.
That afternoon, a carriage marked with the character "Fire" traveled along the main road from Blackwater County to Prefecture City.
Its wheels crunched over gravel with a dull, rumbling sound.
The curtains flapped in the wind, occasionally lifting at the corner to reveal the overcast sky and the shadowy mountain ranges in the distance.
There were four people in the carriage: Jiang Tian, Mu Sining, Liu Xuantong, and Yuan Manzhi.
Yuan Long hadn't come along. He'd simply put his daughter on the carriage.
Mu Sining hadn't been willing at first, but the moment she saw Yuan Manzhi, a glimmer suddenly flashed in her normally placid eyes. After a brief silence, she agreed.
The others didn't have Jiang Tian's cheat that let him see people's traits, but both women had ice-related constitutions. Surely they could tell, right?
At the thought, Jiang Tian felt a little puzzled.
Both of them had red traits, so why was Yuan Manzhi still stuck at Manifest Energy, unable to break through to Transformation Energy?
Could it have something to do with her [Mystic Ice Body]?
He didn't dwell on it and pulled his thoughts back.
Before leaving, he told Old Man Yuan where the porcelain was hidden.
Old Man Yuan didn't thank him. Instead, he kept reminding Jiang Tian to take good care of Yuan Manzhi, promising him a great opportunity in return if he did.
"What great opportunity could he possibly offer?"
Jiang Tian muttered to himself. He'd already entered the Qi Gathering Realm, while Yuan Long was just an old man at Transformation Energy. What kind of opportunity could possibly interest him?
A "great opportunity," indeed.
Still, he agreed. After all, Yuan Long had given him plenty of Blood Vitality Pills and taught him the Five Animals Creation Play.
He owed the man for that kindness.
Along the way, Liu Xuantong kept glancing sidelong at Jiang Tian. Fear, resentment, anger... all kinds of emotions were mixed together in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour Jiang Tian alive.
But whenever Jiang Tian opened his eyes and glanced his way, Liu Xuantong hurriedly turned to look out the window, pretending to admire the scenery. He didn't dare meet Jiang Tian's gaze.
Jiang Tian narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
He didn't like having enemies.
Or, rather, it wasn't that he didn't like having enemies... he couldn't bear the thought of an enemy still alive in the world.
As long as he had an enemy, he couldn't sleep well.
He'd have to find a chance to take care of Liu Xuantong.
As he was mulling it over, he suddenly felt a little cold.
It was as if someone were watching him.
He turned and saw Mu Sining looking at him. Her gaze shifted from him to Yuan Manzhi beside him and back again.
That look made Jiang Tian feel very uncomfortable.
He frowned and met Mu Sining's gaze head-on, asking bluntly, "Mu Sining, is there something on my face?"
Mu Sining replied calmly, "No."
"Then why do you keep staring at me?"
Mu Sining didn't answer. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Yuan Manzhi and studied her for a moment before looking back at Jiang Tian. "Do you want to know why I've been staring at you?"
"Obviously," Jiang Tian replied irritably.
"Good."
Mu Sining gave a slight nod, then turned to Liu Xuantong beside her.
Her gaze was calm, but her tone brooked no argument.
"You. Get out for now. When I tell you to come back, you can get back in."
"Huh?" Liu Xuantong stared at her, baffled. "Senior Sister, what for? Why do I have to get out—"
He didn't finish.
He saw the azure light flickering in Mu Sining's eyes.
Liu Xuantong hunched his neck and scrambled out of the carriage.
Once Liu Xuantong was out, Mu Sining swept a hand through the air. A layer of pale blue qi spread from her palm, forming a thin barrier around the three of them inside the carriage.
The barrier was like a pane of translucent glass, sealing off every sound from outside.
The clatter of the wheels over gravel and the wind all disappeared.
Jiang Tian's eyes flickered slightly.
It was probably a soundproofing technique. He could use qi to achieve something similar, but what he produced was far less refined. It probably didn't have the same effect, either.
Mu Sining's control over qi was clearly far superior to his.
Once she'd finished, Mu Sining glanced at Yuan Manzhi beside Jiang Tian, then looked at him and slowly asked, "Do you know she has the Mystic Ice Body?"
"I do," Jiang Tian replied solemnly.
As expected, Mu Sining had seen through Yuan Manzhi's constitution.
Then Mu Sining said something that left Jiang Tian at a loss.
"Then do you know... what the Mystic Ice Body is for?"
Before you continue