The white light arrived with unparalleled swiftness, flashing instantly to the forefront.
Liu Yan Yi saw that there was no way to evade in time. In her desperation, she raised her hand, summoned a jade bracelet, and sent it forth to intercept the white light. Only then did she see clearly that the white light was in fact a sparrow the size of a thumb, with red eyes, yellow claws, white feathers, and a steel beak. With just one peck at the jade bracelet, the artifact shattered on the spot.
Seizing the brief respite, she swiftly retreated, her skirt billowing as she managed to put some distance between herself and the white feathered sparrow.
Wan Zhang let out a sinister laugh and bellowed, "Liu Yan Yi, stop embarrassing yourself with those worthless magic artifacts!"
Liu Yan Yi furrowed her brows slightly. The vestment robe and magic artifacts she wore were all painstakingly exchanged for through merit, none of them obtained easily. If not for the damage suffered by the "Refuge Golden Bell" that Zhou Chongju had gifted her, she wouldn’t have needed to resort to such a feeble defense.
Wan Zhang held the small tripod in his hand and urged the spell again. The white feathered sparrow let out a sharp chirp before flapping its wings, transforming into a stream of light that flew straight at her.
Liu Yan Yi retreated further; at this point, she no longer had any magic artifacts for protection and could only muster some Xuan Guang to construct layer upon layer of glowing barriers to resist the attack. But this was futile. The sparrow pierced through the light like thin paper, forcing her to retreat hurriedly on clouds, shifting positions in midair to evade the onslaught.
Wan Zhang, seeing that he had control of the situation, didn’t rush to finish her off. Instead, he commanded the sparrow to peck away at the Xuan Guang surrounding her. The source of this content ɪs novel[f]ire.net
The bird pecked left and right, and wherever it passed, the Xuan Guang was shattered into pieces, dissolving into Essence Qi and vanishing, unable to coalesce again.
Only now did Liu Yan Yi realize the fearsome nature of the sparrow. Not only could it strike with precision like a sharp arrow, devastating enemies, but it could also act like a slow blade, methodically forcing her into a dead end.
She hurriedly circulated the spiritual energy within her Qi Sea, drawing out another strand of Xuan Guang to barely maintain her defense.
But this was merely drinking poison to quench her thirst. She immediately discerned the opponent’s intention: to exhaust her Essence Qi until she would be left helpless and captured alive.
However, she had cultivated Xuan Guang for five years now, and thanks to the tribulations these people caused her, she had experienced numerous life-and-death moments. Thus, she remained unperturbed, carefully maneuvering Xuan Guang to intercept and defend, steadfastly facing the enemy without a moment of relaxation, while frantically devising a strategy in her mind.
Still, the white feathered sparrow was exceptionally ferocious. Under its relentless onslaught, fierce as a storm, her stamina began to falter, even though her True Power was long-enduring. Despite this, she refused to give up. As she searched bitterly for an escape, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she thought to herself, "How could I have forgotten about that item?"
With a loud shout, she summoned a strand of Xuan Guang with all her might to hold the sparrow at bay. At the same time, she extended her pale wrist, raised her delicate hand, and drew out a talisman. Chanting the spell, she cast the item skyward, where it transformed into a streak of light and flew off.
This talisman was given to her by Luo Xiao. If she weren’t far from Zhao You Heavenly Pond, she could release it in a moment of crisis, and he would rush to her aid.
Since Luo Xiao was a demon cultivator, he had to be cautious when moving about in the Mingcang Sect’s territory. Furthermore, Liu Yan Yi had never before encountered such a dire predicament, which was why she hadn’t thought of him sooner.
Wen An, amused as he toyed with Qiu Hanyue, glanced up and caught sight of the talisman flying away. He chuckled and said, "The direction it’s headed—isn’t that Zhao You Heavenly Pond? Brother Wan, could it be that Junior Sister Liu is summoning reinforcements?"
Wan Zhang spotted it too and burst into laughter, saying, "Given how close Zhao You Heavenly Pond is to this place, I’d wager Zhang Yan has already arranged some measures in advance."
Wen An feigned sudden realization and exclaimed, "No wonder Junior Brother Wan earlier ordered several of our fellow disciples to guard that area. It turns out you anticipated this possibility all along—truly well thought out!"
Wan Zhang smirked with pride. This precautionary play, though made casually, had unexpectedly proven effective.
Liu Yan Yi heard their exchange, and her heart sank slightly as she sighed inwardly, "So be it. Even if I die, I cannot fall into the hands of people like them, lest I tarnish my master’s name."
She had already resolved herself. After holding out for a little longer, she planned to feign exhaustion to lure Wan Zhang to capture her, then summon every ounce of True Power for one final strike. Even if she couldn’t kill him, she would ensure he suffered grievous injuries.
Meanwhile, Wen An, having toyed with Qiu Hanyue for quite some time, saw that she was utterly powerless against his offensive. Losing interest, he casually pointed his finger, causing the golden light to accelerate sharply. It struck Qiu Hanyue, eliciting a startled cry as she plummeted from the clouds.
Wen An chuckled lowly, streaked across the sky, snatched her mid-fall, gripped her Qi Gate shut, and casually tossed her onto the Xuan Guang beneath his feet. Turning back, he called out, "Junior Brother Wan, why are you still dawdling?"