Li Xun: Why Are They Still Brother and Sister?

Time flew. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Throughout that month, the continent's greatest powers never stopped searching for Li Xun and Tang San. But no matter how many contacts they called on, how many informants they planted, or how many cities they scoured, they found nothing—not the slightest trace.

After a long, fruitless search, the powers finally gave up their blind pursuit.

Everyone understood without saying it: rather than waste people and resources, they were better off waiting. With the two boys' extraordinary talents and the future shown by the Heavenly Screen, they were bound to appear sooner or later. When they did, there would be time to win them over and form alliances. That was far safer than searching aimlessly.

The turmoil outside gradually subsided, and the clamor gave way to calm.

Meanwhile, in an elegant old residence deep in the heart of Heaven Dou City...

A fierce battle was underway on the broad, level ground of the back courtyard.

At its center, Li Xun faced Tang San and Xiao Wu's combined assault alone. Outnumbered two to one, he remained entirely at ease. Dull thuds rang out as Soul Power collided. Tang San and Xiao Wu darted around him, switching seamlessly between attack and defense, yet neither could break through his guard.

Under the shade of a nearby tree, Tang Hao lounged in a reclining chair, his old gloom and murderous air gone. A wine flask hung from one hand, and he occasionally tipped back his head for a swig of strong liquor. His gaze drifted over the three combatants, his manner utterly relaxed.

A full month of instruction had transformed Li Xun and Tang San's theoretical knowledge and combat experience. As for the little rabbit Xiao Wu, she had spent every day playing and learned nothing at all. Her Soul Power, however, had reached rank fourteen, just like theirs.

Now the fight had reached a critical point.

Tang San struck first!

A pale yellow spirit ring rose from beneath his feet and hovered around him.

First Soul Skill—Blue Silver Growth!

Dense Blue Silver Grass burst from the earth. Long, pliant stalks swept toward Li Xun like a tide, cutting off every route beneath his feet. They closed in from all sides, intent on binding him fast.

At almost the same instant, Xiao Wu flashed forward, becoming a light, fleeting blur!

Her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul quietly possessed her, and the same century-old yellow ring appeared around her.

Drawing on the Soft Bone Rabbit's natural agility, she traced a graceful arc through the air. She slipped beyond the Blue Silver Grass's reach, struck from the side, and appeared behind Li Xun.

At the same time, she activated her First Soul Skill, Waist Bow. Her strength doubled as she dove in with tremendous force, driving straight at Li Xun's face. The transition from restraint to attack left no opening.

One locked down the field; the other closed in for the strike!

After a month of practice, Tang San's control and Xiao Wu's charge worked together flawlessly. It was a perfect combination of ranged and close-quarters attacks. An ordinary spirit master of their rank would already have been pinned down, helpless to fight back.

But their opponent was Li Xun, wielder of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian and a Martial Soul of supreme killing power.

He stood where he was, upright and composed, without a hint of panic.

Four ancient swords, clear and austere, hovered around him with a chilling presence. Cold light flowed along their blades, fine strands of sword energy curled around his body, and a century-old yellow spirit ring appeared beneath his feet.

As the Blue Silver Grass swept in, Li Xun flicked his fingers. Sword energy from the Immortal Slaughtering Sword gave a faint, trembling hum!

Fine, razor-sharp strands of sword energy burst outward. They made no grand display, but their edge was absolute. The tough, tenacious Blue Silver Grass stood no chance. Stalks snapped in swathes, and the binding cage Tang San had spent Soul Power to create collapsed in an instant.

The moment the grass gave way, Xiao Wu's close-range attack reached him, its rush of wind striking his face!

Li Xun neither retreated nor dodged away. He turned and bent at the waist, his movements light but precise enough to let the attack skim past. Then he raised a finger. The Immortal Extinction Sword shot out at lightning speed, its cutting wind aimed squarely at Xiao Wu's shoulder.

Whoosh!

The instant it touched her, Xiao Wu's shoulder went numb. Sword energy scattered the force she had gathered, halting her for a split second in midair and breaking her attack.

And that was with Li Xun holding back, without using Soul Power. Otherwise, she would have felt far more than a little numbness.

Before either of them could recover, the other three swords began to circle Li Xun. Their crisscrossing sword energy formed a dense screen that guarded him on every side.

Tang San immediately drove the remaining Blue Silver Grass at him again, sending it up from the ground and in from both sides to try to pierce the sword screen. Xiao Wu landed and absorbed the impact, then pushed off on her toes. Darting unpredictably, she searched for an opening and a chance to strike again.

But however they changed their attacks or coordinated their pincer strikes, they could not get past Li Xun's swords.

The Four Swords of Zhu Xian bore a supreme killing intent that countered both entangling restraints and close-range ambushes. Offense and defense flowed together, leaving no gap.

Soul Power clashed again and again. Blue Silver Grass sprang up and was cut down, the Soft Bone Rabbit's figure darted and wheeled, and flashes of sword light crossed the courtyard.

Li Xun fought them both throughout, handling every exchange with ease. He attacked and defended as he pleased, steadily suppressing their combined assault.

Beneath the tree, Tang Hao took a leisurely swig from his flask. His clouded eyes brightened slightly as he watched the fight, a trace of approval hidden in his gaze.

In just one month of intensive training, all three had grown far beyond what most people could imagine.

Tang San controlled the field, Xiao Wu launched swift attacks, and Li Xun could now command all four of the Swords of Zhu Xian at once. He already had what it took to fight opponents above his rank.

Just as the three prepared to clash again and begin another round of attack and defense...

Tang Hao sat up, set down his flask, and said, "All right, stop. That's enough training for today."

At his words, all three stopped at once.

The surging sword energy faded, the Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground withdrew into the soil, and their Martial Souls vanished.

The intense fight had taken a great deal out of them. Xiao Wu's cheeks were flushed from exertion, and fine beads of sweat dotted her brow.

Without a second thought, she bounded over and jumped onto Tang San's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and draped herself over him.

"Finally! I'm exhausted! Brother, lend me your back so I can rest for a while."

Her soft voice was full of affectionate coaxing, as natural as could be.

Tang San instinctively caught her legs to keep her from falling. Looking at the girl on his back, he smiled fondly and said gently, "All right. If you're tired, get some rest. I'll carry you."

Watching from the side, Li Xun's face filled with helpless disbelief. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he was at a loss for words.

He had thought that once the Heavenly Screen exposed their future, Tang San and Xiao Wu would be past the awkward, innocent brother-and-sister act. He had even privately hoped they might break through that barrier sooner and be honest with each other.

But somehow, after spending all this time together, they had settled into calling each other "brother" and "sister" at every turn. They were close and completely at ease, without the slightest hint of romance between them.

The question that had bothered Li Xun for days finally became too much. He scratched his head and asked, baffled and half amused:

"Seriously, what is going on with you two?"

He looked straight at them, utterly perplexed.

"The Heavenly Screen made it perfectly clear that you'll be lovers—husband and wife. So how have you ended up acting more and more like brother and sister?"