Hearing Chojuro's voice from behind, everyone's spirits lifted as they turned to look.
Ye Ningxue gazed at Chojuro erging from the bushes and said indifferently, "So this is your Sakura Country's Substitution Technique?"
Chojuro's eyes glinted with disdain as he chuckled softly. "The Substitution Technique is the most basic form of ninjutsu. Don't tell Your Excellency can't even see through that?"
Ye Ningxue's face remained expressionless. "You're awfully proud of a re Substitution Technique. It seems you aren't very capable after all."
Luo Xiu surveyed the surroundings and suddenly asked, "There should be three of you. Where's the other one?"
At this, the female team mber chuckled softly. "I imagine our captain has already killed that woman by now—your beautiful team captain from the Hua Country."
Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu's gaze darkened.
The "beautiful team captain" ntioned by the Sakura Country operative was, of course, Lin Xiyue.
"Where is she?" Luo Xiu asked, his tone icy.
"What, are you going to save her?" the woman taunted. "With our captain's strength, it would be futile for you to rush over now. You're going to die either way, so why bother running all that way just to get killed? Wouldn't it be better to stay here and let kill you? Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you."
Luo Xiu's gaze turned glacial. A terrifying wave of heat suddenly radiated from his body, frightening Zhang Yi and the other won, who quickly scrambled away. His eyes, brimming with a murderous intent as sharp as a blade, locked onto the female team mber. "I'll ask you one more ti… where is she?"
He continued, his voice low and nacing, "If she's dead, I'll have your entire Sakura Country buried with her. If she's alive, I'll slaughter you all as a celebration."
The Sakura Country operative's eyes trembled and her body went rigid. She didn't dare et Luo Xiu's gaze, all of her previous arrogance gone. At this mont, she felt as if she were facing a supre god of slaughter, an entity so terrifying that her life could be extinguished at any second.
"She… Two days ago… she was chased to Heitian Swamp by our captain."
Luo Xiu imdiately reined in his aura and turned to Ye Ningxue. "You handle these two devils. I'm going to Heitian Swamp."
He had absolute confidence in Ye Ningxue's current strength. If she couldn't even handle opponents in the sa realm, she wouldn't be worthy of being a Ghost Valley Disciple. Besides, Su Shanyue and Xu Qianqing had also grown stronger.
「...」
Heitian Swamp was located just north of the oasis, not far away. Luo Xiu took out the Rule Manual, confird the direction on the map, and sprinted off at his fastest speed.
Xiyue, wait for !
「...」
Deep within Heitian Swamp, Lin Xiyue stumbled out from a thicket of black vines. Dragging her exhausted body into a set of ancient ruins, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood and collapsed weakly to her knees.
Ever since being separated from her teammates on the night of the Black Cloud Thunderstorm, she had been traveling alone toward the oasis. The journey had been relatively smooth. Although competitors from other countries had tried to steal her competition badge, her strength at the Great Perfection of the Gathering Spirit Realm was more than enough to deal with them.
Two days ago, she had finally bypassed the Mirage Sand Sea and reached the oasis, only to be ambushed by the team from Sakura Country. The three of them had arrived at the oasis much earlier and had been lying in wait, rcilessly slaughtering many competitors from other nations.
Naturally, Lin Xiyue refused to simply be led to the slaughter, so she fled into Heitian Swamp. Powerful mbers of the Sakura Country team were in hot pursuit, and the swamp ahead was filled with poisonous plants. Consequently, she was now covered in wounds and severely poisoned.
The statue of the Four-Ard Beastman in the ruins had been weathered by the ages, with most of its head missing. Though now just a piece of broken stone, it had once been the supre faith of many living beings. As ti passed and the world changed, that faith remained immortal. Just like Lin Xiyue's own faith.
She sat before the statue, lost in thought, her mind drifting to Lin Shanshan, far away in Sea City. Her baby daughter, so new to the world. She was still a nursing infant who hadn't even learned to call out "Mama." She then thought of her parents and her grandfather. Despite the many unpleasant things that had happened between them, they were still her kin—and blood was thicker than water.
Finally, she thought of that man, whose whereabouts were unknown, the very man she had sworn ti and again she would never love again.
Those warm mories, those familiar faces—they were her faith.
"I must… I have to get back to them alive," she vowed through gritted teeth. "I absolutely cannot die here." Her gaze was no longer clouded with confusion, only grim resolve.
For a mont, though, she couldn't understand it. Wouldn't it have been fine to just remain a businesswoman in Sea City? Why did she have to co to such a dangerous place? Wouldn't it have been better to raise her daughter, to provide her a life free of want, and to live out her own days in simple contentnt? Why did I have to walk this cruel Martial Way?
Suddenly, she thought of that man again.
It was because of him that I started down this path. He cured my terminal illness, allowed to live, and turned into a celebrated martial arts prodigy at such a young age… And once you step onto this path, there's no turning back.
"To think that in the end, I'd still have to rely on you…" she muttered.
Lin Xiyue fumbled in the pocket of her battle attire and pulled out a fragnt of an elixir. After a mont's hesitation, she placed it in her mouth.
A short while later, a tall, graceful figure strode into the ruins and appeared before her.
"Do you have any last words before you die?" the beautiful woman in Sakura Country battle attire asked, her gaze calm as she looked down at Lin Xiyue.
Lin Xiyue looked up at her. "What's your na?"
"My na is… Watari Kagura."
Lin Xiyue groped for the sword beside her, its blade stained crimson with her blood. Using it for support, she slowly pushed herself to her feet. "I'm a very competitive person," she said. "Whether in the world of business or the world of martial artists… I always aim for the top. I hate to lose."
Watari Kagura remained expressionless. "When I was your age, I was nowhere near as capable as you. With your talent, given ti, you could defeat all contenders."
As she spoke, she slowly raised her right hand. In her pristine white palm, three comma-shaped magatamas spun symtrically, faintly exuding a terrifying power.
"And it is for that very reason that you must die now," she continued. "This is my clan's divine artifact—the Eight-Foot Qiong Jade. There is no dishonor in being killed by it."
Lin Xiyue's gaze turned sharp. "I said," she growled, "I refuse to lose!"
In an instant, a powerful and profound aura erupted from her body, so imnse that the surrounding ruins began to tremble and shatter. Her face was contorted in a ferocious mask of pain. Her long hair whipped wildly about, and blood flew from her wounds in crimson threads that danced in the air.
She glared at Watari Kagura as a potent azure spiritual power began to radiate from her body.
The portion of the Holy Origin Golden Pill she had just ingested was her only trump card.
Watari Kagura's eyes narrowed slightly. She imdiately floated backward, tossing the Eight-Foot Qiong Jade as she moved. The artifact was imnsely destructive, yet as it neared Lin Xiyue, it was deflected by the seemingly gentle azure spiritual power.
Watari Kagura's eyelids drooped slightly. "Considering your current state," she said, "relying on an external force to achieve a breakthrough will only guarantee your death. This powerful and mysterious aura… I suspect you've consud the Emperor's Blood of so Great Emperor. Since your death is certain, there's no need for to risk injury killing you. Farewell."
With those words, Watari Kagura turned and left without a mont's hesitation.
「...」
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