Xiang Le considered her intelligence perfectly normal. It had not failed her at all.
In theory, she and Cheng Yun were both at Foundation Establishment and belonged to the same realm. In practice, Cheng Yun’s spiritual sense, magic artifacts, and combat experience meant she could kill Xiang Le in an instant.
“Senior Sister Cheng Yun, I was wrong. I have a foul mouth—please forgive me. I swear I’ll never spread nonsense again.” Xiang Le forced out a nervous laugh. “Master has something for me to do, so I’ll take my leave.”
Then she fled like a frightened rabbit. She no longer cared that another disciple had claimed the pixiu mission she had wanted.
*Once I reach Core Formation, Cheng Yun, I’ll make you repay today’s humiliation a thousand times over!*
After Xiang Le fled in disgrace, Cheng Yun swept a chilling gaze over the other inner disciples. They compared their strength with hers and wisely departed. In the blink of an eye, only the two destined rivals remained before the inner mission list—Xiaoqing and Cheng Yun, together with the prize they supposedly fought over: Eldest Senior Brother.
No. Something was obviously wrong with that picture.
An inexplicably strange atmosphere gathered around them.
Xiaoqing rubbed her chin. Unable to bear the silence any longer, she asked, “Eldest Senior Brother, where is Li Li?”
Where had the heroine gone?
“Junior Sister Xiaoqing, if you’re looking for Junior Sister Li Li, you should visit her cave dwelling. I don’t know where she is either.”
Dressed like a refined scholar, Eldest Senior Brother looked surprised. He quickly lowered his eyelids to conceal it, then turned away. “Junior Sister Cheng, shall we accept our mission?”
A voice-transmission talisman flew to Xiaoqing’s side and burst open.
“Come at once!”
Come where?
Xiaoqing was still confused, but Cheng Yun understood as soon as she heard the voice. “The Sect Leader has summoned us.”
“What?”
“He probably wants to discuss his sister, Ouyang Yue. Since the two of us accepted this mission together, I’ll accompany you.” Cheng Yun glanced at the young man. “My apologies, Eldest Senior Brother. Goodbye.”
She pulled Xiaoqing close and placed Xiaoqing’s arms around her waist. A faint blush touched the tips of Cheng Yun’s ears as she murmured an incantation and sent her sword into the air.
“Hold tight…”
*Hold tight, my foot!*
Xiaoqing had already offered to give Cheng Yun the mission. Why would the woman not let her leave? She did not want to meet the Sect Leader, much less capture his younger sister Ouyang Yue.
*Help!*
* * *
Xiang Le’s face was deathly pale. She flew her sword with all her strength while using a magic artifact to protect herself. Her spiritual sense was almost completely exhausted.
Even though she desperately swallowed pills and absorbed the spiritual energy in spirit stones, it was no more than a cup of water against a raging fire.
She could not escape her pursuer’s grasp.
Gritting her teeth, Xiang Le flung out a fiery red, dart-shaped artifact. It shot toward her opponent, but the other girl merely leaned aside. With a soft sound of surprise, she caught the dart and drew it into her hand.
The girl appeared seventeen or eighteen. A green jade hairpin adorned her head, and she wore a pale lotus-green dress. She was undoubtedly beautiful, but her most unforgettable feature was a pair of brilliant eyes whose shifting colors sparkled like stars.
“I didn’t expect this to be made from a Sun Essence Stone. Old Monster Tianhen is certainly generous!”
Even the spirit treasure Xiang Le’s ancestor had bestowed on her had been taken. Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down her forehead, and despair filled her face.
“Li Li, we’re members of the same sect! There has never been any great hatred between us. Why must you wipe me out? You know I’m a descendant of Perfected Tianhen. If you kill me, you’ll meet a terrible end. A terrible end!”
Xiang Le’s face twisted as she stared unblinkingly at Li Li.
“Is that so?” Li Li laughed softly. “Then you can die.”
An eerie, beautiful flame of violet and blue engulfed the defenseless Xiang Le. She screamed once. Then the girl who had so recently been planning her revenge against Cheng Yun vanished completely. Not even her spiritual sense escaped.
“I’ve returned… to the beginning. To where everything first began.”
Li Li murmured to herself. Her gaze shifted, and she suddenly gave a cold snort. An utterly terrifying presence erupted from her body.
A passing Core Formation cultivator died before he could even sense it. His body burst apart in midair.
