Spirit-Devouring Puppet Refining Method

"You're... not human..."

No words could describe Jia Lie Lin's feelings at that moment. His voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with terror and disbelief.

Yet the words he blurted out in shock happened to strike the truth squarely.

"What? You're allowed to leave wounds on me, but I'm not allowed to break through your Dou Qi Veil?"

Xiao Qian stood several yards away from him, his chest heaving like a bellows.

Blood already covered his body, glaring beneath the moonlight like a painting of carnage.

His opponent was a Dou Shi, after all. To strike at his Dou Qi Veil, Xiao Qian could hardly defend himself properly.

He was trading wound for wound, risking his life with every attack, yet he never backed down.

Thud.

Jia Lie Lin suddenly tossed Jia Lie Ao beneath a nearby tree, his eyes fixed firmly on Xiao Qian alone.

His gaze brimmed with resolve, as though he had made a momentous decision.

"What? Don't care whether he lives or dies anymore?" Xiao Qian asked coolly.

He had knocked Jia Lie Ao unconscious first precisely to make his opponent hesitate, like someone afraid to smash a rat for fear of breaking the vase beside it. Only then would he have a chance of winning. Now, it seemed he had driven Jia Lie Lin into a corner, forcing him to stake everything on one last throw.

"As long as I can kill you, Jia Lie Ao can be sacrificed."

Jia Lie Lin tightened his grip on his saber, his voice trembling faintly. "I haven't forgotten that you're not even a Dou Zhe yet. Once you grow stronger, my Jia Lie Family will be finished!"

He knew all too well how terrifying Xiao Qian's potential was. If he did not eliminate him now, he would become a great scourge to the Jia Lie Family in the future.

"There's no need to wait that long. Your Jia Lie Family was already finished the day it provoked me."

Xiao Qian casually stripped off his blood-soaked outer robe, exposing the crisscrossing wounds across his upper body. Some still seeped blood, a ghastly sight.

"Keep going! Come at me again!" he snarled.

Fighting spirit burned in his eyes, without a trace of fear.

The next instant, the two clashed again, and the woods erupted as though a gale had swept through.

Fallen leaves whirled wildly, caught in a vast storm. Branches flew, broken limbs streaking through the air and leaving chaos in their wake.

Jia Lie Lin kept Xiao Qian firmly suppressed. His saber flashed like snow, each swing unleashing waves of blade-sharp Dou Qi that left more and more cuts across Xiao Qian's body.

But Xiao Qian guarded only his vital points, ignoring everything else. Even if it meant taking another bloody wound, he would carve a gash into Jia Lie Lin with his claws.

A mad persistence shone in his eyes, like a wounded beast made all the fiercer by its injuries.

"Your Dou Technique is devouring my Dou Qi!"

As his wounds gradually multiplied, Jia Lie Lin suddenly realized that much of his Dou Qi had vanished. What should have sustained him for a long time had now diminished by nearly thirty percent.

Alarm gripped him. This discovery filled him with a fear unlike anything he had ever known.

"Hah... hah..."

Xiao Qian panted heavily, his entire body a mangled mass of blood and flesh, yet his wide grin sent chills through Jia Lie Lin. "Believe me? You'll be the one who dies in the end."

"Impossible... impossible..."

Jia Lie Lin shook his head, his vision blurring and his will nearly shattered. He could no longer remember how many times he had said those words tonight.

"Just die already!"

His saber stirred up a gale as Jia Lie Lin summoned every last scrap of strength, driving his Dou Shi power almost to its limit.

"High-level Yellow Tier Dou Technique-Raging Wind Slash!"

He roared, unleashing his strongest move. A violent wave of energy surged forward, as though it would crush everything in its path.

Xiao Qian's gaze sharpened.

If he endured this attack, his opponent would have no strength left to retaliate. But enduring it would also leave him gravely wounded.

There was no time to think. The wind-wreathed blade was already descending toward his head.

"A wound for a kill-worth it!"

Xiao Qian spat out a mouthful of blood and tilted his head aside, actually preparing to take that deadly blade with his shoulder.

"Let's see who dies-"

A pair of pitch-black claws swept upward, one reaching for the heart, the other locking onto the throat!

Jia Lie Lin had gone mad as well. Abandoning all defense and reason, he poured every bit of his Dou Qi into his saber, determined to cleave this boy who terrified him in two!

Whoosh!

At that critical instant, a golden spiral shot in from afar, flying over the lake before darting straight toward the saber.

The golden spiral moved blindingly fast, like a shooting star.

Bang!

A sharp crack rang out. Golden light flashed, stopping the saber dead.

The sudden turn left both of them momentarily stunned.

Pfft! Pfft!

At that same instant, Xiao Qian's claws severed Jia Lie Lin's throat and pierced his heart.

Jia Lie Lin's blood sprayed through the woods. His saber fell with a clang, and he clamped his hands over his chest and neck, but could not stop his life from draining away.

In the last flicker of his peripheral vision, he seemed to see a fairy descend to the mortal world, drifting toward him with light steps across the lake.

Hazy moonlight and a beauty that could topple cities-that was the final sight of his life.

"You're here..."

Xiao Qian relaxed, and his feet immediately staggered.

The prolonged battle had already pushed his body to its limit. Willpower alone had kept him standing.

"Xiao Qian!"

The girl rushed over and wrapped both arms around his waist, keeping him from falling. His blood stained her elegant dress, bringing the fairy beneath the moon down into the mortal dust.

Her eyes were filled with worry and anxiety. The wounds covering Xiao Qian made her heart ache.

A fresh fragrance curled around his nose, reviving Xiao Qian's spirits. At last, he gathered enough strength to straighten up. "Sorry, I got you dirty." His voice was weak, but he still wanted to comfort Xiao Xun'er.

"Forget about that!"

Xiao Xun'er was both heartsick and furious. Seeing him covered in blood was just like seeing him back when he had bloodied himself trying to force open his meridians. He always treated himself so recklessly!

But back then, she had not felt the way she did now...

An unfamiliar feeling stirred in her heart. She shook her long hair, casting those inexplicable thoughts aside, then carefully helped Xiao Qian sit down against a tree trunk.

Then she abruptly stood and walked over to Jia Lie Lin, who had only a breath of life remaining.

This was the man who had hurt him! How dare he hurt him!

Anger blazed in her eyes, and killing intent spread around her.

Die!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Several streaks of golden light shot from Xiao Xun'er's fingertips like countless arrows, turning Jia Lie Lin into a sieve in an instant.

Still not satisfied, she let a wisp of golden flame fall from her hand.

Crackle, crackle.

Soon, the smell of roasting flesh filled the woods. Jia Lie Lin's corpse burned in the golden flames, turning to ash.

Only then did Xiao Xun'er turn around. Golden light still flickered in her eyes, lending her an extraordinary nobility beneath the moonlight. She looked like a goddess of vengeance.

"You used a secret art?" Xiao Qian asked, leaning against the tree and catching his breath as he looked at her with a smile.

"Why are you still worrying about that? How can you even smile?"

The girl crouched down, took out a pill bottle, and poured out a pill for him. "Take this, quickly."

"I fought a Dou Shi to the death and won. Why shouldn't I smile?" Xiao Qian chuckled, but pushed her small hand away. "Don't worry. The wounds only look bad. I don't need a healing pill."

Xiao Xun'er had casually produced a third-grade pill. Using it would be quite a waste when he could still endure his injuries himself.

"If I hadn't arrived in time, would you still dare say your wounds weren't serious?"

She reached out, suddenly covering his mouth and pushing the pill inside. "Swallow it." Her tone was firm, leaving Xiao Qian no room to refuse.

Helpless, Xiao Qian could only swallow it.

The pill dissolved inside him, swiftly soothing his injuries. His wounds stopped bleeding at once, and he could feel his body recovering rapidly.

"I'll wash up by the water so I don't stink you out."

He pulled her small hand away from his mouth and rose unsteadily. "You should release your secret art, too. The longer you use it, the longer you'll be weakened afterward."

Xiao Xun'er carefully supported him as they walked toward the water. She shook her head and said softly, "After I take you home, I'll pay the Jia Lie Family a visit."

A trace of coldness showed in her eyes. She was already planning her revenge against the Jia Lie Family.

Xiao Qian's steps briefly faltered, and he could not help glancing at her.

Her eyes clearly held a chilling frost, yet to him, they felt so warm.

Our years together really have changed so much...

Especially the relationship between us.

Countless emotions stirred in his heart.

"Don't push yourself. It isn't worth it. I've already thought of a way to get them back," he said gently, unwilling to let Xiao Xun'er take that risk.

They found a rock by the shore and sat down. Xiao Qian casually removed his bloodstained clothes, leaving only his underpants.

Xiao Xun'er's lovely face flushed faintly, but she did not avert her eyes. Instead, she scooped up water with her hands and gently helped wash away the frightening bloodstains.

"What are you... planning to do?"

Her voice trembled slightly. She was eleven now, no longer the little girl she had once been. Naturally, she understood what she should and should not do. But if it was him, it was all right, wasn't it?

Xiao Qian, on the other hand, paid little attention to this bit of contact. Over the years, he had done far more outrageous things to her.

"The one you helped me find three years ago... the Spirit-Devouring Puppet Refining Method."

A mysterious light flickered in his eyes. He already had a perfect plan for revenge.