Critical Moment

Gang Wind could not last forever. Nor was the black shadow any ordinary thing. Though it had been wounded by the Gang Qi when it had been careless just now, it had now recovered its wits and condensed the black qi around its body into a net. Golden threads lay within the black net, actually trapping the Gang Qi inside.

Only then did the black shadow have time to look at the person who had just injured it.

Before its eyes stood a young girl with a face full of terror. She wore old clothes that had been patched over and over, and she seemed to be only in her teens. Though she was fairly delicate and pretty, she was clearly undernourished. No matter how it looked at her, she was just an ordinary village girl. How could she possibly unleash such vast Gang Qi?

"Could it be that she happened to obtain some treasure, and the treasure automatically protected its master?"

As the thought turned in the black shadow's mind, greed instantly appeared in its eyes. Without further hesitation, it continued controlling the black net with one hand while the other, a withered claw wreathed in black qi, shot out eighteen feet and grabbed at Xiuniang once more.

"Ying ying!"

Clang!

A streak of white light struck the claw, knocking it to a halt with the ring of clashing gold and iron.

The white shadow had seen the black shadow become entangled. It spat out a streak of white light to block the black shadow, then darted past Xiuniang's side.

When Xiuniang saw the white shadow flash past, she naturally came to her senses as well. She knew the protective talisman Gu Zhao had given her had taken effect. Feeling the heat at her chest gradually cool, she did not dare delay. She turned and ran.

But Xiuniang was only an ordinary young girl. The white shadow and black qi had moved so quickly just now that she could barely see them. How fast could she possibly run?

"Jie jie jie!"

Sensing that the Gang Wind was merely water without a source, then seeing Xiuniang turn and flee, the black shadow guessed that the magical treasure on her body had only enough power for one strike. It did not hesitate again, turning its entire body into a mass of black qi and pouncing toward Xiuniang once more.

Xiuniang only felt another wave of icy chill descend upon her.

"Give me... huh?"

The next instant, another surge of Gang Qi containing Sun Moon Heavenly Light abruptly rose from Xiuniang's body. It instantly locked onto the source of that icy chill, transforming into a Gang Wind that shrouded the black shadow.

"Why is there more?"

The black shadow let out a strange cry. In its panic, it opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of black smoke glimmering with golden light. The smoke shielded its entire body. Though it blocked the incomparably fierce Gang Wind, the golden light within the black smoke had nearly dimmed into nothing.

"My Golden Thread of Faith!"

The black shadow cried out in distress, and when it looked at Xiuniang again, its eyes were filled with brutality and bloodlust.

But the Heavenly Dipper Talisman had only just been activated and was at its most violent. He had also been injured by the first surge of Gang Qi, and still had to control the black net to block the remaining Gang Qi. For the moment, he could not free his hands.

Xiuniang heard the black shadow's strange cries behind her and felt the second Heavenly Dipper Talisman gradually cooling as well. Though her expression was panicked, her gaze remained resolute. Gritting her teeth, she focused only on running.

The white shadow saw that the black shadow was entangled, and she could also see Xiuniang's situation. Sensing that vast Gang Qi, which seemed to recognize only one's aura, she did not dare act rashly for fear of bringing disaster upon herself.

Under that vast Sun Moon Heavenly Light, she felt only her own insignificance. The demon power within her shrank back in trembling, and she did not know whether Xiuniang could continue triggering Gang Qi or whether it would turn on her. Thus, she did not dare approach Xiuniang, merely following at a neither-too-near-nor-too-far distance.

"Ying ying ying!"

The white shadow darted past Xiuniang's side and found a suitable route for escape.

Xiuniang glanced sideways and finally saw the white shadow's true form. It was actually a snow-white fox, though its body was now dirty and disheveled, stained with blood. It had clearly also been injured by the black shadow just now.

One girl and one fox raced through the forest in blind panic, but Xiuniang instinctively avoided the direction of the village and that small hill.

I can't go to the village...

Gu Zhao... Grandpa said Young Master might be injured. I wonder if he has recovered...

I can escape on my own!

But just when Xiuniang felt that she had run for a long time, when she could no longer hear the distant howls behind her or feel the warmth at her chest, a cloud of black smoke suddenly appeared before her.

"You little wench, where do you think you're running?"

A sinister voice sounded. The black smoke gradually dispersed, revealing a man floating in midair. He wore black fitted clothing and half-armor, his face was pale, and his pupils were completely black. He blocked Xiuniang's path.

Xiuniang skidded to a stop and fell to the ground.

The white fox stopped instantly as well, every hair on her body standing on end.

The man first glanced at the white fox, then cautiously looked toward Xiuniang.

Those two bursts of Gang Qi had not only injured him, but also consumed a great deal of his Mana. Even the Golden Thread of Faith bestowed by the cult leader had been badly damaged by that Gang Qi.

Thus, when the man looked at Xiuniang now, his gaze held both vigilance and greed, yet he did not dare make any rash moves.

"That treasure cannot hurt me, nor can it protect you!" The man stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. "Hand over the treasure, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise, I'll pull out your soul and tear it to pieces, so that you'll beg to live and beg to die!"

Seeing the man stop to threaten her, inspiration struck Xiuniang. She immediately said, "That treasure was bestowed upon me by my Young Master. What are you, that you dare covet my Young Master's belongings?"

The man indeed stopped, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. But after a moment of silence, he suddenly laughed. "Dressed like a village girl, where would you get some Young Master? You must have dug up some treasure from some remote nook in the mountains, and are using empty threats because you fear I'll seize it by force."

The man's eyes flashed. With a flick of his fingertip, a strand of black-gold silk appeared out of thin air, turning into a streak of light that shot straight toward He Xiuniang's brow.

Clang!

With a soft sound, the golden thread was blocked. Then a streak of white light flew back into the white fox's mouth.

"Ying ying ying!" The white fox bared her teeth at the man.

The man's expression darkened. He understood the white fox's plan.

He was using Golden Thread of Faith, whose connection he could sever at any moment, to test them. The white fox could block his attack, but if he went all out, he might easily trigger a counterattack from that Gang Qi.

Clever enough, but did she think such a trick could hold me back?

The man sneered, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. He reached out with one hand, which transformed into a withered, bony claw. It suddenly extended ten feet and viciously grabbed at the white fox.

"Once I deal with you first, won't that solve everything?"

"Ying—"

The white fox shrieked and instantly hid behind Xiuniang.

The claw paused slightly, then changed direction and swept toward Xiuniang again. Yet the man's gaze was solemn, and he was prepared to withdraw at any moment to defend himself.

Though Xiuniang understood the white fox's plan as well, she had already fallen into despair.

Neither the white fox nor the man knew it, but she knew very well that if she had not yet found the chance to give the second Heavenly Dipper Talisman to Grandpa, she would already be dead.

But the two Heavenly Dipper Talismans had already been used up. What ability did she have left to block that pitch-black claw?

Xiuniang closed her eyes. In her mind, that figure—noble yet not arrogant, warm and gentle—appeared once more.

Then, she seemed to hear his voice again.

"Lightning chases lightning, heaven and earth are my eyes. Righteous qi from all eight directions, lightning flashes!"