Zhao Ziyue threw back his head and laughed, offering no direct reply. He only said, "Master Miao Xiang, you are someone my sworn brother trusts and values..."
"I would not dare. The Great Venerable distinguishes between close and distant; I can still tell the difference."
With that face-to-face, drumbeat-for-drumbeat declaration, Master Miao Xiang had made her stance perfectly clear, leaving Zhao Ziyue no chance to curry favor. Yet as they spoke, he had already contacted Manoo on the "far shore" of the void. That Lion Cat was drawing upon the Ding Shan Anchor's power to come support him.
Three more breaths...
At that very moment, within the blaze stretching three li in every direction, a brilliant streak suddenly shot up. Shielded by the flames, it was not until it reached him that Zhao Ziyue noticed it.
"Ah, this woman wears one face before others and another behind their backs!"
Yet he did not stop to consider what he himself had done. It was too late to dodge, so he could only activate a protective artifact. A gleaming green radiance spread around him like a screen, but the streak curved along an incredibly slight arc, grazing past the protective treasure-light without making any contact at all!
"Damn!" Zhao Ziyue jolted and released his flying sword to intercept it, but he was still a step too late. With a ringing clang, the iron chain floating beside him was wrapped by the streak and split apart at its middle, clattering to the ground. Beyond the void here, some unfortunate fellow let out an "Awoo!" and instantly got "lost" in some corner of the Yellow Springs Secret Mansion.
Having succeeded in one blow, the streak immediately flew back and landed in Master Miao Xiang's hand. It was a jade blade just over a foot