Su Jiu's unique ice-element arts and Si Lishen's demonic qi crisscrossed through the air, their radiance making even the brilliant moonlight seem dimmer.
Si Lishen wanted to end the fight quickly, but every time he was about to hit Su Jiu, she managed to evade his arts by the narrowest margin. As time passed, he grew increasingly impatient-and, more than anything, suspicious of the strength she displayed.
He did not know whether he was imagining it, but he felt that Su Jiu was constantly improving and adjusting herself as she fought him. It showed in her predictions of when and in which direction he would unleash his arts.
At first, his attacks had indeed caught Su Jiu somewhat off guard, leaving several wounds on her body when she failed to dodge in time.
Yet at some point, she had begun getting injured less and less. Gradually, no new wounds appeared, and her evasion of his attacks became increasingly precise.
However, Si Lishen had noticed a little too late.
Once Su Jiu had completely grasped the rhythm of Si Lishen's attacks, she no longer remained on the defensive, even though she still had no advantage in speed.
Now, Su Jiu could strike back while evading Si Lishen's attacks. Although most of her attacks missed, a small portion of her arts still managed to wound him.
Small gains accumulated. Although Si Lishen had suffered no serious internal injuries, his body bore quite a few wounds, both large and small.
Watching their back-and-forth exchange, Ning Fan slowly unclenched the fists hidden beneath his sleeves. Feng Qi quietly breathed a sigh of relief as well. Although the Enforcement Hall disciples still glanced frequently at Xia Jue, they seemed to have understood their leader's painstaking intentions.
"Su Jiu can resist him to some extent and