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Qing Xuanling's mind was in chaos. Her palms were sweaty, her legs trembling for the pressure.
This was, without doubt, the closest she'd ever felt to death—with absolutely no chance of resistance. Her body begged her to surrender. It would be the most logical choice. A quick death was better than a uselessly painful one…
'NO!'
Qing Xuanling bit her lip, straightening her back and legs. Her face flushed with effort—veins bulging across her collarbone and hands. Yet she stared directly into the assassin's eyes.
They were deeply sinister—two completely white eyes that didn't seem to see her, yet somehow conveyed the sensation he knew exactly where she stood…
'Eh…? Is he blind?'
Qing Xuanling realized this belatedly—but no matter how she thought about it, that knowledge didn't seem to help much. A blind Foundation Establishment cultivator was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Escape was impossible.
'Still… I'll try.'
Qing Xuanling's black eyes burned like a flame in an abyss—intensely bright. She took a difficult, deep breath and glanced sideways at Qing Wentian.
His situation was several times worse than hers.
His face was pale and drenched in sweat. Though he managed to remain standing, he seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment. More than that—his eyes were truly worrying. They were empty. Devoid of hope.
He seemed to have already accepted death.
Qing Xuanling clicked her tongue and mocked him.
"Hey—did you piss your pants or something?" She punched his shoulder. "Wipe that stupid look off your face and snap out of it! Take advantage while this guy's just observing us for now…"
Qing Wentian looked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment. He couldn't help but wonder—why did Xuanling seem so calm…?
She didn't look like someone about to die.
Qing Xuanling read his thoughts and smiled. "We don't know if we'll die or not. So until my last breath—I'll think and fight for a way to survive! And I don't want a life where my good brother died being a crybaby—so snap out of it!"
Qing Wentian's expression grew complex—laden with terror, despair, and irony. But at least his eyes seemed clearer.
"Hey—who's a crybaby?! I just blanked out for a second…"
Qing Xuanling smiled and was about to tease him further—but the assassin suddenly began clapping.
"Ha—what fine "camaraderie" you two share. Pity it won't save you." The assassin descended to the ground, regarding them somehow with condescending expression. "And girl—stop wasting time with that act. I'm no lonely old man who'd be moved by such things. I merely find it interesting watching ants scurry."
Qing Xuanling's expression froze. She'd been discovered… She truly had been spouting nonsense while thinking of ways to survive. She'd barely even registered what Qing Wentian had been saying.
Qing Wentian, meanwhile, looked at Qing Xuanling devastated. 'Everything you were saying was just a damn act?!'
Qing Xuanling ignored Qing Wentian's indignant glare and smiled at the assassin.
"Hehe—well, at least it gave me time to calm down." Qing Xuanling forced a smile. "But you're not as unapproachable as I thought—you're even somewhat friendly… No wonder you're so handsome. So to commemorate us youths meeting you—how about a wager?"
The assassin was momentarily stunned—his completely white eyes fixed on Qing Xuanling's face as if truly seeing her.
Qing Xuanling swallowed hard, heart hammering violently in the sudden silence. She endured for several long seconds—but could hold out no longer. Just as she was about to speak…
"Jajajaja!" The assassin brought a hand to his face, laughing wildly. "I imagined many things—but never this! Fine, fine—to commemorate this old man's first meeting with two promising youths—we'll make a wager! If you win—I'll personally compensate you!"
Qing Xuanling and Qing Wentian's faces immediately brightened. Qing Xuanling clenched her fist. Her gamble had worked!
Just as she'd expected—old perverts always had that twisted side for unusual things!
She suppressed her smile and was about to state the wager's conditions—but the assassin spoke first.
"Mmm—since today's encounter involves three people… How about wagering whether you can withstand three of my attacks?" The assassin seemed immensely interested. "If you succeed—your lives will be spared!"
Qing Xuanling's face soured. Three attacks…
On the surface, it didn't seem overly difficult. But it was absolutely not that simple.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator's power existed on another plane—a separate dimension entirely. The claim that Foundation Establishment cultivators were a different form of life wasn't an exaggeration.
They were natural disasters in human form.
But…
"We have no other choice…" Qing Xuanling took a deep breath and gave Qing Wentian a wry smile. "Hey—if we survive this—you'll finally tell me what your physique actually does? I've always been curious about that!"
Qing Wentian's face tightened. "That again?! And why should I tell you?! Rather—why don't you tell me what opportunity suddenly made you so talented, huh?!"
Qing Xuanling stuck out her tongue. "I'll never tell you the reason! And you have to tell me—because my silver tongue got us this opportunity! It's only fair you tell me!"
The assassin watched the two brats' argument with an expressionless face. "Brats—if you don't take this seriously—I won't hesitate to eliminate you in one strike!"
Qing Xuanling smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sorry—it won't happen again…!"
She lowered her head—but her eyes held no fear, only sharpness. She couldn't help but frown. The assassin's tolerance toward them was far too great. She couldn't help but smell something strange…
But before she could think deeper—the assassin's aura forced them to take a step back.
He regarded them with his white eyes, pointing his index finger at them.
"This will be the first move—prepare yourselves!"
Suddenly, heaven and earth's spiritual energy surged—converging around the assassin's finger! An intense, cold, calculating aura surrounded his finger as a phantom tiger suddenly materialized!
Qing Xuanling and Qing Wentian's faces froze at the sight of the phantom tiger. Its heavy, sharp aura was overwhelming!
"Let's see what you can do against this~" The assassin mocked, pointing his finger at both youths.
"Roarrrr!"
The tiger roared and immediately charged at them!
Qing Xuanling took a deep breath and enveloped her sword in sharp Qi. Her sharp Qi appeared much whiter and purer than before—a change that had occurred since the ambush, triggered by fearlessly wielding her sword against assassins.
After all—swords were the kings of killing in this world. Only through battle, slaughter, and facing death could one improve.
Just like in this moment.
Unbeknownst to Qing Xuanling, her sharp Qi was slowly approaching a threshold.
"This is going to be tough, huh?" Qing Wentian stepped forward, standing beside her. "I never expected my death would be beside you… How horrifying."
Qing Xuanling smiled. "Focus—it's coming!"
Qing Wentian nodded and fully released his heavy, fiery aura. Somehow, it was far more solid and weighty than an ordinary seventh-layer cultivator's!
A fierce look crossed Qing Wentian's face as he began forming hand seals—his hands blurring suddenly. A massive amount of Qi erupted from his body—and without warning, a golden-red fire sword appeared behind him!
"Attack!!"
Qing Wentian's golden eyes blazed with killing intent as the fire sword shot toward the phantom tiger, stabbing it in the neck!
The phantom tiger struggled, scratching at the fire sword with its paws. But no matter how it tried—it couldn't remove or dispel the fire sword. Enraged, it roared and lunged at Qing Wentian.
But at that moment—Qing Xuanling appeared with shocking speed, her sword wreathed in intensely white sharp Qi. Her eyes were murderous as she plunged her sword into the other side of the phantom tiger's neck!
The sensation of stabbing the phantom tiger's body was strange. Though clearly pure energy—it felt as if she were piercing a physical body…
As she thought this—she belatedly realized the phantom tiger was still alive!
Though seemingly on the verge of dissipating—it still held a murderous, ferocious gaze!
She immediately shouted:
"Wentian—hurry and detonate the energy contained in the fire sword! Don't worry about me—I can endure it!" Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth and wrapped her arms around the phantom tiger's body, preventing further movement.
Her recent body cultivation was bearing fruit!
Qing Wentian frowned at Qing Xuanling's request. Though he certainly could do it—Qing Xuanling would be caught in the explosion. But doubt vanished instantly.
Qing Xuanling knew what she was doing.
More importantly—not doing it might cost them both their lives.
With fierce eyes—he controlled the sword and detonated it immediately!
A powerful explosion instantly engulfed the phantom tiger and Qing Xuanling!
Qing Wentian grimaced. Even the assassin couldn't help but clap.
"Whoa—how ruthless! You even exploded your companion! I truly didn't expect this!"
Qing Wentian's face contorted with rage—he was about to retort—but someone beat him to it.
"Stop spouting nonsense and make your next attack." Qing Xuanling emerged from the smoke—her robes burned in several places, but otherwise seemingly unharmed. "Why are you making such a fuss over just a small explosion?"
Qing Xuanling wiped black smudges from her face with her sleeves while provocatively regarding the assassin. Though she truly shouldn't—her rebellious streak had been awakened.
Why did she have to be in this situation? Why did she have to endure attacks from some damn stranger just to fight for her life?! Qing Xuanling wanted to throw everything away and charge straight at the assassin!
But the rationality she still possessed prevented that. So she settled for the next best thing—being shameless.
"Hurry up and make your next attack! We don't have all day!"
Qing Wentian and the assassin looked at Qing Xuanling in shock. Neither expected her to emerge unharmed!
True—they hadn't expected her to be incapacitated by the explosion—but at least somewhat injured, with some blood. Not the current sight: completely unharmed and speaking with even more momentum and courage than before.
Qing Wentian even tried to stop her—but the assassin seemed provoked.
"Hehe—fine, I like you, girl! This is how a cultivator should be!" The assassin laughed while extending his full hand toward them—spiritual energy converging around it. "How about this? If you survive this attack—I'll let you go!"
Both their eyes widened—but Qing Wentian's first impulse was to refuse. Only a fool would accept such a thing! It was clear the assassin no longer wanted to play—and intended to eliminate them in one strike—!
"We accept!" Qing Xuanling shouted while gripping her sword tightly. Her sharp Qi seemed to glow mystically. "So come on, damn bastard—attack!"
Qing Wentian stared blankly at Qing Xuanling's wild, unrestrained aura—suddenly feeling weak…
Meanwhile, the assassin seemed quite animated. "Good, good—let's see if you can maintain that spirit!"
Two spears—each three meters long, wreathed in intensely sharp aura. The character "Pierce" was engraved on both shafts.
The assassin casually flicked his hand—sending the spears flying toward their targets.
Qing Xuanling smiled ferociously while raising her sword. "Wentian—handle one—I'll take the other!"
"What?! Are you crazy?! Even I don't feel confident resisting this—and you're much weaker—!"
"Shut up and mind your own business! I know what I'm doing!" Qing Xuanling ruthlessly interrupted him, her voice sharp. "If you want to live—just worry about yourself!"
Qing Wentian gritted his teeth, indecisive. But in the end—he nodded and began rapidly forming hand seals.
A smile appeared on Qing Xuanling's face. At least the fool had finally reacted.
As for her and her strange confidence… Well, even she didn't know why she felt so confident. Right now—she was merely following her instincts. Her heart, perhaps.
She truly didn't know why she felt so confident. But at least—she knew she wouldn't regret what she was about to do.
Her eyes blazed intensely and fearlessly—she took a step forward, advancing directly toward the three-meter spear flying at her!
She stared directly at the spear—and a strange certainty arose within her.
"I will definitely cut you!"
Qing Xuanling's sharp Qi suddenly glowed intensely for an instant—then lost all luster, becoming a pure, paper-white color!
But for some reason—when Qing Xuanling brought her sword down forcefully—the very air seemed to split!
Sword and spear clashed—causing the world before Qing Xuanling's eyes to be covered in blinding light! But she felt no fear! In her heart—her sword would undoubtedly win this clash!
Banng!
Bamm!
Two explosions resonated simultaneously!
Immediately afterward—two bodies were sent flying!
Qing Xuanling felt as if a horse had rammed into her. All her organs shook—and a metallic taste rose in her throat. But none of that mattered.
She smiled.
Her sword had won. Simultaneously—she understood something. She had reached the Sword Qi realm!
It was something she knew intuitively!
So even as her body tumbled across the ground several times, her face scraping the earth a few times—her mood didn't worsen!
When she finally stopped—she lacked the strength to rise. Her body was utterly exhausted. Qing Wentian—who seemed to have landed beside her—appeared to be in a similar state.
But that didn't stop Qing Xuanling's mouth from moving.
"What'd you think of that, old bastard?! Got damn well surprised, didn't you?! Jajaja—next time, fix that damn defective brain of yours before making a wager!"
Qing Xuanling was completely unrestrained—insulting nonstop. Beyond her ecstasy—she was certain a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't break their word.
However—the words that came from the assassin were something she never expected.
"Hoho—I must say you truly surprised me. Young Wentian's strength was impressive—and young Xuanling's courage was unmatched. Qing Wentian scores 80 points—Qing Xuanling 100."
"Though young Xuanling… shouldn't you fix that tongue of yours?"
Qing Xuanling's brain short-circuited.
"…Huh?"