But even knowing this, one still had to retreat, because there truly was no way to counter this strike. It was one of Kunlun Sunlit Palace's signature killing strikes, and few in the world could break it.
Yet, astonishingly, Jiang Yiner did not dodge.
Abandoning her usual Sword Chess style of "understand first, act afterward," the girl turned her wrist and raised her sword. Her clear eyes gazed calmly into Chen Mishuang's as she leaned into the strike like a crane. Bright blood blossomed across her left arm and beneath her neck in an instant. To everyone's shock, she forced her way through the strike and rushed right up to Chen Mishuang!
Of course, no one had expected this, and neither had Chen Mishuang-the girl had moved so suddenly, and the blade had actually missed her throat by a hair!
He abruptly lowered his eyes, but the girl before him was still looking straight at him, calm as ever. Panic flashed through his heart, yet Chen Mishuang's movements did not falter. Her response had gone beyond his expectations, but he still brought his second strike around.
-At this distance, she had even less chance of evading it!
But Jiang Yiner seemed suddenly deaf and blind. She appeared utterly unaware that the second strike was already coming at her. With a turn of her wrist, a fierce gleam of swordlight sprang into being between them.
"Jade Terrace, Thousand Calamities."
Shenxiao's sole powerful offensive sword technique: heavenly tribulation and earthly tempering, with nowhere to escape. At this distance, its killing intent was particularly chilling.
Chen Mishuang's heart tightened. For an instant, he felt dazed. His sword was plainly faster, more dangerous; in Sword Chess, the girl should already have lost. Yet she disregarded it completely and simply launched a strike like this.