The Sickly Beauty and the Ferocious Armlet (4)

At this moment, Yu Ci and Ling Jiao had already arrived above the sword formation. They saw long banners unfurling in the wind, their presence intimidating. Yet Ling Jiao was in a playful mood. She suddenly swooped down, her sword light almost brushing the immense banner surface as she circled it seventeen or eighteen times. Amid the ceaselessly rolling and trembling banners, she frolicked like this without making the slightest contact with them, nor did she disrupt the circulation of the sword formation's aura. This was enough to prove that Ling Jiao's skill in controlling a sword in flight had truly reached a realm of consummate mastery. Yu Ci reflected that, with his attainments in the Half-Mountain Mirage and the Twelve Jade Towers Heavenly Sound, he might surpass her somewhat in destructive power, while in subtlety they were evenly matched. But when it came to the ability to push transformations to their utmost limits, he still seemed a step short of Ling Jiao's level. As for learning her effortless, extraordinarily nimble swordsmanship, that was utterly hopeless. Such spiritual flair was purely a gift of talent; there was simply no comparing. Wasn't that why they said everyone had two faces? Before Flower Lady and the others, Ling Jiao had seemed innocent, but every word and action of hers had held deeper meaning. She had carried out observation and probing without leaving the slightest trace of deliberateness. But now, what special meaning could there be in this act of circling banners with her sword, laughing and playing? Clearly, there was none. She was merely a young girl whose childish heart had yet to fade, half playing around and half showing off. Compared to that earlier self, Yu Ci preferred this Ling Jiao more. Previously, she had been covered in Baoguang, to the