Su Jiu was gambling with her life.
After a stalemate lasting roughly half an incense stick, a tiny crack finally appeared where the defensive barrier met the Purple Ultimate Sword's edge.
As a Formation Arts Artist, Su Jiu knew a little about defensive formations like this one.
No matter how formidable a formation was, the amount of energy it contained would not change.
Once the energy it expended on defense reached a certain threshold, its defensive power would naturally begin to weaken.
The formation Su Jiu faced had grown fragile precisely because she had drained too much of its spiritual qi.
Now that a crack had appeared, Su Jiu certainly would not give up.
Having gone this far, she committed herself completely, unleashing the Purple Ultimate's current power to its fullest.
A few more breaths passed before the formation protecting the glass orb finally dissipated beneath Su Jiu's sword, just as she had hoped.
By then, Su Jiu's face was pale, and her steps were no longer as steady as before. She was in an even sorrier state than after her battle with the Cloudborn Beast, but she did not stop.
Forcing her body to hold out, she swung the long sword in her hand. Radiance streamed from the Frostbound Purple Ultimate Sword once more, and in the next instant, the brilliantly glowing glass orb was slashed down to the ground.
The glass orb was not sturdy. The instant it struck the ground, its light went out.
The glass orb became a pile of lusterless shards, and their crisp shattering was the last sound Su Jiu heard before she lost consciousness.
Indeed, after swinging the Frostbound Purple Ultimate Sword, she had completely exhausted both her spiritual qi and her innate origin qi. That excessive expenditure finally caused her to pass