First Spell Duel: The Cautious Approach

"In that case, my apologies, Brother Zhang..."

Li Jiejian fell silent for a second, then cupped his hands in apology and prepared to attack.

Killing the Princess's Consort before he could become a wild card was his lineage's decision. As a Li Descendant, he had only come this far through his lineage's support. He certainly could not let his emotions rule him under these circumstances.

Besides, he had only met Zhang Yuan once. Their relationship hardly warranted any sentimental impulses.

"I should be the one apologizing."

Zhang Yuan smiled faintly. While Li Jiejian was apologizing, a Golden Carriage abruptly appeared in his palm.

He hurled it out. The palm-sized Golden Carriage grew to the size of an ordinary horse carriage and hurtled straight toward Li Jiejian.

Although fifth-turn qi refinement and third-turn qi refinement each granted only one divine ability, fifth-turn qi refinement offered two additional imagos of the heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces. There was still a gap between them.

Never mind a difference of two minor realms—even against cultivators at the first or second turn, Zhang Yuan would give his all. Only that qualified as a cautious approach to combat.

Li Jiejian had not expected Zhang Yuan to attack so suddenly. Before he could react, the Golden Carriage, wreathed in circling luan birds, slammed squarely into him.

"Urgh!"

Li Jiejian grunted and went flying backward.

The Li Descendant beside him, who practiced the outer dao, hurriedly caught him.

Li Jiejian climbed to his feet, his hair disheveled and every inch of his body wracked with pain.

"Despicable and shameless!" Li Jiejian rebuked him, his eyes blazing with anger.

Zhang Yuan chuckled and said mildly, "Warfare is the way of deception."

Although aristocratic clan descendants had their lineages to supply resources, their combat experience was plainly lacking by comparison. He had actually apologized to his enemy before the battle began.

"The way of deception, is it? Hmph! Taste my divine ability!"

Seething with indignation, Li Jiejian shouted, "[Earth-Blocking Plow]!"

"Why not look behind you, Brother Li?"

Seeing Li Jiejian unleash his divine ability, Zhang Yuan stood perfectly still and offered a most kindly reminder.

Li Jiejian turned at his words, but there was nothing behind him. When he turned back, he caught a glimpse of the Golden Carriage that had struck him earlier charging in from his right.

Tricked again!

Furious, Li Jiejian could only redirect the divine ability aimed at Zhang Yuan to block the speeding Golden Carriage.

He crossed his hands like blades, his body resembling a pair of shears, and made a cutting motion toward the ground ahead.

The next instant, an incredibly hard stone wall rose from the ground out of nowhere.

Combining the earth-net baleful force, obstruction baleful force, and muddy hell baleful force, [Earth-Blocking Plow] excelled at defense and sealing off an area.

One could say that [Golden Chariot] had met its natural nemesis in this divine ability.

The Golden Carriage struck the stone wall.

Neither the imagined shattering of the wall nor the collapse of the carriage occurred.

Just as the Golden Carriage was about to hit the wall, it dissolved into mist.

And vanishing along with the Golden Carriage was Zhang Yuan, who had been facing off against Li Jiejian moments before.

"What?"

Li Jiejian whipped his head around. Only then did he realize that while he had been dealing with the Golden Carriage, Zhang Yuan had recalled it and driven away.

A streak of golden light raced through the sky above the Third Princess's Residence.

Inside the Golden Carriage, Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged, reviewing the battle.

Although they had exchanged only a few moves, every fight offered experience. He could not dismiss this one simply because his opponent had been rather foolish.

Li Jiejian was at fifth-turn qi refinement, with [Earth-Blocking Plow] as his life-bound divine ability. Judging by the imago it emitted, this divine ability likely had the power to trap people.

If either his Golden Carriage or his body were trapped, he would probably struggle to escape on his own unless Xiao Yuanjun came to his rescue.

Thus, once Zhang Yuan understood the effects of [Earth-Blocking Plow], he decisively recalled his Golden Carriage and left.

Neither of their divine abilities had much killing power anyway. Continuing the fight would hardly produce a clear winner.

"In spell duels between qi-refining practitioners of the Gang Sha Path, an information gap matters greatly. Knowing the effects of an opponent's divine ability in advance lets you devise a counter beforehand. Even if you truly cannot handle it, you can avoid the fight."

Zhang Yuan summed up his conclusions, then lifted the window curtain and looked outside.

[Golden Chariot] could travel a thousand miles in a thought. He had intended to escape the Third Princess's Residence outright, perhaps even leave the Capital City.

Yet several breaths had passed, and he had not even left the Third Princess's Residence. Clearly, something was wrong.

Has the Third Princess's Residence been sealed off? Was it the Foundation-Building Heavenly Beings of the Li and Chu Clan, or Dongfang Caibai?

Zhang Yuan pondered this as he surveyed the entire Third Princess's Residence from above.

The sky remained calm, offering no indication of how the battle between the two sides was going.

Xiao Yuanjun's situation, however, was perfectly clear.

"With such lofty Daoist attainment, why serve someone who is about to die? Why not become a guest elder of our Chu Clan instead? Ten taels of gold a month—what do you say?"

Chu Xiyin spoke between ragged breaths.

Li Jieyan and Chu Ruifeng were in equally poor condition, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.

They had already exchanged several rounds with Xiao Yuanjun. Yet even after unleashing all their divine abilities, they still could not subdue her.

She was at nine-turn qi refinement, just like Li Jieyan. How could she be so much stronger?

Commanding the two qi, Xiao Yuanjun stood in midair, her figure flickering in and out of sight and appearing in every direction. Li Jieyan and the other two could barely keep track of her even while standing back-to-back.

"Heh. I am merely taking revenge for my disciple. What does serving anyone have to do with it?" Xiao Yuanjun said calmly.

"Revenge?" Chu Xiyin and Chu Ruifeng were puzzled.

They had never even met Zhang Yuan before. Where had this talk of revenge come from? If anything, Li Jieyan seemed to be the only one among them who knew her disciple.

Chu Xiyin and Chu Ruifeng exchanged a glance, immediately reined in their cultivation, and cupped their hands toward Xiao Yuanjun.

"Senior, there has been a misunderstanding. We do not know this man. Please forgive our earlier offenses. We shall take our leave."

With that, the two flew toward the edge of the Third Princess's Residence.

"You two!"

Li Jieyan's eyes blazed as though their corners would split.

The Western Bian Chu are notorious for betraying their word. They truly live up to their reputation!

Li Jieyan seethed inwardly but dared not show it. Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Senior, there is actually no deep grudge between your disciple and me. My second uncle ordered everything..."

"Enough nonsense. Die!"

Clearly unwilling to waste more words, Xiao Yuanjun gently swept both sleeves.

[Fivefold Body-Rending Qi] came rolling toward him.

"Damn it!"

Li Jieyan cursed under his breath and could only unleash his divine ability.

[Dragon-Snake Sky-Sealing Art].

His divine ability could shut out all qi between heaven and earth. In principle, his opponent's divine ability should have crumbled before it.

In reality, however, [Dragon-Snake Sky-Sealing Art] was easily broken through, seemingly having no effect whatsoever on [Fivefold Body-Rending Qi].

The defiling wind swept over him. Li Jieyan had already taken several hits from this divine ability; now, with another gust, the flesh all over his body began dissolving. Even the white bones beneath were pitted and riddled as though gnawed by insects.

That was only the surface. Li Jieyan could distinctly feel his five viscera and six bowels dissolving, while even his mind and soul swayed with the wind.

[Fivefold Body-Rending Qi]: the rending of flesh, the rending of the five viscera, the rending of the mind, the rending of the seven spirits, and the rending of the three souls!

Anyone struck by this wind would surely die within five gusts!

The formidable physical body of Li Jieyan, a Nine-Turn Qi Refinement Perfected Being, slowly dissolved. His consciousness grew hazy, and the three souls and seven spirits hidden within his body emerged. At last, a gust of defiling wind snuffed them out.