“You know nothing! We can’t see Ling Xiao, but Sister Bai should, right? Maybe Ling Xiao’s already been stabbed!”
Just as the words left his mouth, a dazzling flash of cold light struck like lightning from Bai Feifei’s side.
The sword tip tore through her clothes, and only then did the proud, venomous woman sense the danger.
In that instant, her soul nearly fled in terror.
But having fought countless beasts, she instinctively condensed all her true essence into one point, barely blocking Ling Xiao’s strike.
Even so, her clothes were stained with crimson blood.
The injury wasn’t severe, but she was wounded nonetheless.
After parrying Ling Xiao’s attack, Bai Feifei didn’t dare linger. She retreated swiftly, nearly falling off the platform before steadying herself, staring in shock and fury at the spot where the sword light had come from.
A deep void appeared in the air.
“The platform’s formation allows a warrior to briefly evade attacks, but only when the opponent is reckless. Who’d have thought this kid would exploit it!” the Formation Hall Master exclaimed, genuinely impressed by Ling Xiao. He made even her, the hall master, feel inferior.
Ling Xiao leapt out of the void, flicking the blood off his sword tip with a smile. “Pity, I thought that sneak attack was perfect, but you still blocked it, Sister. Still, you should be grateful this is just a match, not a vendetta. Otherwise, you’d be dead!”
Ling Xiao wielded a rare treasure weapon. If he’d truly aimed to kill Bai Feifei, he could’ve done it just now by entering his human-dragon form.
But he couldn’t kill her yet.
As detestable as she was, she was Master Bai Yun’s daughter. At most, he’d capture her alive and hand her over to Master Bai Yun.
That was a promise he’d made, and he rarely broke his word.
Seeing Ling Xiao’s calm, carefree demeanor, Bai Feifei’s once-rosy face turned ashen.
Her heart still pounded uncontrollably from the close call.
A hair’s breadth from death!
Though Ling Xiao spoke lightly, she felt she’d just brushed past the reaper.
Since she’d come of age, she’d only felt this way once—when ambushed by two peak ninth-level beasts.
Back then, she was only a Mortal Realm Eighth Layer warrior.
Now, as a half-step Heavenly Venerable, that same fear gripped her again, and it was Ling Xiao—the one she’d scorned—who’d instilled it.
“Concede, Sister Bai. I’ll give the Grandmaster some face today so she doesn’t lose too badly,” Ling Xiao said with a grin, glancing at the Grandmaster on the platform.
This old woman might have no personal grudge with him, but her ruthless nature was clear. She killed without reason.
To her, Ling Xiao was likely just a test subject, like the beasts she’d captured for her disciple’s training.
If they died, so be it!
If there was a grudge, Ling Xiao could understand, but her disregard for others’ lives irked him.
Especially since he was the test subject this time!
If she treated him like this, she couldn’t blame him for not giving the former Grandmaster any face!
He said Bai Feifei should concede, but he was really slapping Grandmaster Chang Yueli’s face!
“Joke’s on you, why would I concede?”
Bai Feifei took a deep breath, regaining her composure. Though still shaken, she was confident the same trick wouldn’t work twice, so her fear faded.
Her voice, hoarse from fright, rasped, “I admit, I underestimated you, you sly little rat. That was a clever move, worthy of me getting serious!”
Before Ling Xiao could react, Bai Feifei raised her sword levelly, pointing it at him. Her true essence began to shift in a peculiar way.
At the same time, a martial soul phantom appeared behind her.
A pure white jade pipa!
An ancient musical instrument!
A pipa martial soul?
Ling Xiao had seen weapon-based martial souls, but a pipa was a first.
Regardless of the soul, their functions boiled down to three things:
First, enhancing a warrior’s specific abilities;
Second, aiding in attacks;
Third, granting some special ability.
Unless it was an exceptionally rare soul, like the nine ancient dragon souls, which might have unique effects.
Ling Xiao stood with his Ice Dragon Sword, seeking an opening.
Bai Feifei felt dangerous now, so he kept his distance.
Her cultivation far surpassed his; a head-on fight would be suicide.
Against this woman, he’d have to rely on wits!
“Demonic Sound Sword Art!”
Four sharp, forceful words slipped from Bai Feifei’s lips.
Her cold, ruthless voice seemed to rise from the depths of the underworld, carrying a terrifying killing intent and eerie aura.
She truly loathed Ling Xiao—this hatred and killing intent were reserved for mortal enemies.
As her words fell, a shocking murderous aura erupted around her!
The momentum grew like a storm, intensifying and spreading rapidly, soon engulfing the entire platform.
Though Ling Xiao was prepared, the sudden, ferocious force hit him head-on, forcing him back over ten steps before he steadied himself.
What terrifying true essence!
What terrifying momentum!
Ling Xiao’s brows furrowed, his heart wary.
He knew his earlier sneak attack had humiliated Bai Feifei, and now she was ready to unleash her true trump card.
Summoning her martial soul was proof.
“You little brat, seeing my martial soul and Demonic Sound Sword Art means you can die content in the underworld!”
Bai Feifei’s furious voice echoed across the platform.
The spectators felt the terrifying aura.
“Ling Xiao’s in trouble now!”
“Yeah, he’s got some tricks, but he can’t match Sister Bai’s raw power.”
“I hear the Demonic Sound Sword Art is a top-tier gold-grade technique, even core disciples struggle to learn it.”
“And that pipa martial soul looks harmless, but the stranger the soul, the trickier it is.”
“Exactly!”
The chatter was relentless.
Ling Xiao ignored it all.
The fierce momentum had jolted him, but only for a moment. Once he stabilized, she had no further advantage.
