Moments later, Ling Xiao withdrew his piercing gaze, and the red-robed warrior finally breathed, realising his clothes were soaked through.
Ling Xiao ignored him, walking to Lan Yuer and handing her a pill. “Senior Sister, I’m late. Sorry.”
Duan Yun stood there, feeling utterly ignored. Confident by nature, he wouldn’t have volunteered to guard Ling Xiao for Blood Skeleton otherwise. The prouder one is, the less they tolerate being overlooked. More than the red-robed warrior, he wanted to teach Ling Xiao a lesson.
But the throbbing pain in his finger forced him to focus on healing. It seemed just a severed finger, but Ji Mingkong’s sword intent was formidable. If not expelled quickly, it would cause trouble.
Lan Yuer collapsed into Ling Xiao’s arms, shaking her head weakly. “Not late, just right.”
In that moment, she felt only warmth and sweetness. Having someone to rely on was truly fortunate.
Ling Xiao gently tidied her dishevelled hair, then channelled his Tianyuan energy to repair her parched meridians. For a month, she couldn’t absorb external spiritual energy, leaving her meridians dry and shrunken. Without prompt treatment, her future cultivation would suffer.
“This happened because of me, yet you suffered, Senior Sister. I was too merciful,” Ling Xiao said, filled with regret.
He had only injured and driven off the red-robed warrior before, sparing his martial cultivation and life, thinking it would make him restrain himself. But he hadn’t expected such shamelessness, violating the Tianyuan Pagoda’s rules for revenge.
An open retaliation he could accept as expected. But such despicable interference with others’ cultivation was intolerable, especially since it harmed his dearest Senior Sister.
Without Lan Yuer at Yuehua Sect, his path would have been far harder. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from excitement and emotion. After Ling Xiao’s bond with the Moon Maiden was confirmed, she stepped back, unwilling to be a despised third party. Yet, her feelings for him, though hidden, never faded. His gentleness now left her choked with emotion.
Seeing Lan Yuer’s face regain colour, Ling Xiao stood slowly, turning to the other two girls. “Miss Yanran, Mingkong, please look after Senior Sister Lan. I need to clean up some trash.”
“No problem,” Feng Yanran said, quickly supporting Lan Yuer.
Ji Mingkong frowned. “Duan Yun is mid-Three Talents Heaven, and the other three are late-Two Instruments Heaven. Can you handle them?”
“I won’t know until I try,” Ling Xiao said. Having just broken through, with his Light Principle at the second stage, he needed to test his strength.
“You madman,” Ji Mingkong said, glancing at him helplessly before stepping aside. “Leave Duan Yun’s life to me. I’ll kill him myself.”
Duan Yun had humiliated her verbally. If Ling Xiao hadn’t appeared, he might have succeeded. For Ji Mingkong, who valued her purity, such a person had to die, and by her hand.
“No problem,” Ling Xiao said, turning to face Mo Wushang, Qin Bixue, the red-robed warrior, and Duan Yun. “I haven’t been in Divine Phoenix Continent long and didn’t want to kill. But you forced my hand. This is your last chance: cripple your cultivation and leave, or you four will be the first I kill here. No, you don’t even deserve to be called human.”
“This guy’s tough,” Duan Yun thought, realising the red-robed warrior’s warnings weren’t empty. This seemingly weak human exuded a daunting aura. His cultivation wasn’t high, but his overall strength was terrifying.
Duan Yun took a deep breath, drawing a weapon he hadn’t used before: a fan, an immortal-grade treasure. Self-crippling was unthinkable after the long, arduous path to mid-Three Talents Heaven. Falling behind peers was unacceptable, and death even less so. He had to fight.
“Let’s team up and kill him,” Duan Yun said coldly. “Mo Wushang, Qin Bixue, you fear him, but if you flee today, you’ll face death at Divine Phoenix Academy. Fight with me or run. Choose wisely.”
Ling Xiao touched his storage ring, and the Purple Lightning Sword appeared, its purple glow dazzling. In a Heaven-Man Realm warrior’s hands, an immortal-grade weapon unleashed greater power. The sword was now more formidable than ever.
He was truly intent on killing; otherwise, he wouldn’t have drawn it.
Mo Wushang and Qin Bixue exchanged glances, choosing to stay. As Duan Yun said, fleeing meant a worse death at the academy.
The red-robed warrior, seeing this, rejoiced. “Ling Xiao, let’s see who dies first,” he said, his smug arrogance begging for a beating. Moments ago, he cowered behind Duan Yun, but now, with three allies, he grew bold, likely thinking four against one guaranteed victory.
“Divine Phoenix Academy warriors are just cowards who gang up,” Feng Yanran said coldly. Her words, though harsh and absolute, were hard to refute.
None of the four could face Ling Xiao alone safely. Together, they had a sure chance of winning.
“Tch, three late-Two Instruments Heaven warriors and a mid-Three Talents Heaven warrior teaming up against a Heaven Meridian warrior. You’ve shamed Divine Phoenix Academy,” Ji Mingkong sneered.
“Forget their nonsense. Kill the kid,” Duan Yun said, unconcerned with pride. He knew their situation was precarious, requiring all four to act together.
Ling Xiao said nothing, slowly aiming his Purple Lightning Sword at the four. “You’ve forsaken your last chance to live. Don’t blame me.”
