Xu Ning sensed a strange aura coming from the white-haired youth. It felt familiar—she quickly figured it out.
It was demonic qi!
Xiao Ba and Xiao Jiu had the same kind of demonic qi.
'Could this be a demon raised by the Qi Clan?'
Xu Ning's mind turned fast, and she quickly pieced together how this demon fought.
She spread her arms wide. Bursts of lightning exploded from her body, whipping her robes into a frenzy. The hair on both sides of her face floated up with the rising thunder and electricity. As the lightning surged outward, her feet left the ground. A massive pressure radiated from her whole body.
Xue Jin's eyes widened at the sight. Shocked, he had no idea what kind of technique this was.
This was the first time Xu Ning used her self-created secret art—not even Jiang Zhaoxia had faced it.
Wrapped in lightning, the pain at her waist vanished.
The white-haired youth was stunned too. He felt a dominating spiritual energy gathering around Xu Ning. For the first time, he sensed danger from her.
His eyes sharpened. He attacked instantly.
Boom!
He sprang up, both feet smashing the snow beneath him and blasting powdery snow in all directions.
Xu Ning didn't retreat—she charged forward. They collided midair. Lightning burst out as tree vines expanded, then were shredded by the thunder.
The youth's right palm struck, but Xu Ning's sword blocked it. This time, she held her ground against his brute force.
Her eyes were cold as ice, fueling the youth's rising fury.
"A mortal dares block me!"
The white-haired youth roared. His other hand shot out. Terrifying demonic qi erupted like an explosion of black mist, violently blasting Xu Ning back.
She turned into a bolt of lightning and landed in the snow, then leapt aside just in time to dodge his descending strike. He crashed down like a meteor from the sky, blasting snow upward and making the ground tremble.
The two fought back and forth, their fierce battle streaking across the snowy field. Even someone as strong as Xue Jin couldn't follow their speed.
Xu Ning didn't just dodge—her sword strikes got faster and faster, slashing over and over at the youth.
"You're just a mortal with a worthless sword. You can't hurt me. Struggle all you like. Your secret technique surely burns through your life. After going all out, you'll still have to accept a miserable end. That kind of fate suits you!"
The youth laughed wildly. His fists and kicks flew like wind, and now and then he shot out vines like spears.
Xu Ning didn't get hit again, but her strikes weren't landing either. Still, she didn't stop swinging her sword.
Lightning wrapped around her blade. Each slash came with thunder, sharp and furious.
Xue Jin tried to get up but couldn't. He could only watch Xu Ning fight to the death.
His heart was filled with frustration. He didn't think he should be in this state.
At that moment, a group of Qingxiao Sect disciples ran over from afar. When they saw the corpses of the Training Hall disciples, their expressions changed dramatically. They picked up speed to rush over.
"Don't come any closer!"
Xu Ning's voice rang out, clear and direct in their ears. They froze on instinct.
The disciples steadied themselves and took a closer look at Xu Ning and the white-haired youth. The fear in their eyes deepened.
The youth launched dozens of wooden vines from time to time, like a demon stretching out its tendrils. Against the endless white of the snowy field, it was a terrifying sight.
They could only pray Xu Ning would win. They had faith in her—she was Qingxiao Sect's top disciple, undefeated in battle.
But the longer they watched, the more that confidence eroded.
No matter how hard Xu Ning attacked, she couldn't pierce the youth's skin—let alone sever a limb or take his head.
"What kind of monster is that…"
"A yao… It has to be a yao!"
"Get ready to fight. Even if we can't beat him, we have to stop him. Someone's already gone up the mountain to call for help!"
"Who is he? Why did he come here?"
The disciples whispered to each other, their voices filled with dread.
The white-haired youth's attacks got fiercer. In contrast, Xu Ning was clearly slowing down.
"To fight my clone to this degree… What's your name? I'll remember it!"
He grinned wickedly as he attacked.
Right as the words left his mouth—blood sprayed into his vision. His pupils widened as he watched Xu Ning's sword slice into the flesh of his throat.
"Impossible…"
Disbelief twisted the youth's face.
Xu Ning's expression didn't change. She kept slashing, voice cold: "So, you're not invincible after all."
The youth jumped back immediately, but Xu Ning chased him without hesitation. He had to clamp a hand over his throat, forced to block her strikes with just his right hand.
'Most of her attacks were aimed at my throat earlier… I didn't expect her to actually succeed…'
The youth's fury boiled over. There was no more mockery in his heart—only killing intent.
He suddenly stopped, stomping his right foot down. Instantly, massive wooden vines burst up through the snow, even thicker than before. There were too many to count—countless vines filled the area within 100 zhang, shaking the earth so hard that even the disciples watching from a distance felt the ground trembling.
Xue Jin was thrown through the air. He crashed hard into the snow and nearly passed out from the pain.
Xu Ning had no time to dodge. Overhead, a massive web of interwoven vines had already formed, blanketing the sky above her.
"I'm going to make you regret this!"
The white-haired youth glared coldly at her, blood still pouring from between his fingers. He could feel a strange type of vital energy raging through his body, wreaking havoc.
"Miing—"
A piercing screech echoed from above. The snowy mist scattered as a pair of massive claws descended from the sky, grabbing the tangled web of vines in midair and ripping it apart with sheer force.
The white-haired youth looked up, his face filled with shock.
What a massive eagle demon!
Xu Ning didn't ease up. Taking advantage of the youth's distraction, she closed in again.
Meanwhile—
Far away inside his cave dwelling, Li Qingqiu opened his eyes during meditation. He had heard Xiao Ba's cry—and he could tell the urgency in it.
Whoosh—
Li Qingqiu vanished from the stone bed in an instant. The spiritual energy inside the cave surged, and the herbs beside the spiritual pond gently swayed in the ripple of energy.
...
The white-haired youth's face twisted in fury. He stared at Xu Ning, his eyes full of murderous intent. Right now, the tip of her sword was less than 10 centimeters from him. But her sword and wrist were tightly bound by dozens of thin vines. Her body was also wrapped up completely.
The lightning around Xu Ning began to fade. Her brow furrowed—she couldn't move, and the vital energy inside her was being forcibly drained away.
Behind her, massive vines kept bursting from the ground. More kept falling from the sky. Xiao Ba was still assisting from above, but couldn't get close to the ground.
The white-haired youth raised his right palm, aiming to cut off Xu Ning's head.
Whoosh—
A sound sliced through the air from above. The white-haired youth was still wearing a twisted grin, time seeming to freeze for a second. A silver light lit up his face. His arm was sliced clean off, spinning midair, and the razor-sharp fingertips turned toward his face.
Xu Ning saw it all. Her lips curled into a faint smile.
Boom—
A surge of powerful force sent the white-haired youth flying backward. A silver sword shadow stabbed into the spot he had just stood on. His right arm fell beside him.
The vines binding Xu Ning scattered instantly. Her legs gave out, and she immediately plunged her sword into the snow to keep herself upright.
From afar, the disciples only saw a silver flash fall from the sky, piercing through the vines and landing between Xu Ning and the white-haired youth. They were tense, uncertain of what had just happened.
Xiao Ba screeched again, drawing everyone's attention upward. The moment they looked, joy lit up their faces. Even Xue Jin, lying in the distance, let out a breath of relief.
There, standing on top of Xiao Ba's head, was a figure bathed in sunlight—blindingly brilliant.
It was Li Qingqiu.
From above, Li Qingqiu looked down at the white-haired youth, his gaze icy cold.
The youth stared at the silver sword shadow that had sliced off his arm, heart pounding with terror. He looked up and caught sight of Li Qingqiu's figure.
"Who are you?"
The white-haired youth gritted his teeth and asked. The sword move had been too fast—so fast he didn't dare act recklessly now.
Li Qingqiu didn't answer. Instead, dozens of silver sword shadows condensed around him, all pointing straight at the youth.
The white-haired youth flushed with humiliation. He stomped the ground again. Thick vines exploded from the snowy earth, racing toward Xiao Ba like wild beasts.
A cold glint flashed in Li Qingqiu's eyes. The dozens of silver sword shadows around him shot forward like arrows loosed from a bowstring.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...
The sounds of blades tearing through the air roared together, slicing through every vine in their path without slowing, and stormed toward the white-haired youth with unstoppable momentum.
The youth's face twisted in horror. He instinctively leapt back, trying to dodge—but the sword shadows were far too fast.
The sound of blades piercing flesh and bone rang out. The youth couldn't escape. Over a dozen silver sword shadows stabbed into him, driving him into the snow, forcing him to stumble back, shaking.
Xu Ning looked up. Seeing the white-haired youth's body pierced by so many silver swords, she finally let out a deep breath.
"You…"
The youth trembled all over. Even his face had a silver sword shadow embedded in it. Blood gushed down the blade, painting his whole face crimson.
Both shoulders, his chest, abdomen, thighs, knees, and calves—every part of him was skewered by silver swords. A terrifying vital energy was wreaking havoc inside him. He could sense the same kind of energy Xu Ning used, but this one was even more powerful—far beyond hers.
Agonizing pain, suffocation, and intense cold tore through every inch of his body. It had been a long time since the youth had felt pain like this. He couldn't even remember if he'd ever hurt this badly. The instinct to end this clone surged within him.
But then, horror dawned on him—he couldn't sever the fragment of his soul inside this clone.
'How is that… possible…'
Li Qingqiu descended from the sky, landing directly in front of him.
The white-haired youth stared at him, eyes filled with hateful venom. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "You're… Li Qingqiu?"
His mouth was full of blood, dark and thick.
Li Qingqiu looked back at him and said, "You shouldn't have come."
The white-haired youth struggled to endure the pain, but it was impossible to suppress. His face twisted with agony as he forced a crooked smile. "Li Qingqiu… do you even know who you've provoked?"
Li Qingqiu didn't answer. Instead, he said calmly, "Soon, I'll appear before you in person."
As his words fell, the dozens of silver sword shadows inside the youth's body pierced through his flesh all at once. Blood exploded into a mist, drenching the ground. His whole body became soaked in red as he collapsed.
Li Qingqiu raised his hand and summoned the Soul-Refining Banner.
Though the youth's body had fallen, his soul lingered behind him. Only Xu Ning could see it. The other disciples, believing their sect master had slain the enemy, erupted into cheers and began running toward Li Qingqiu.
The white-haired youth's soul was still pinned in place by the silver sword shadows, completely immobile.
These sword shadows were a unique spell Li Qingqiu had created—the Soul-Stealing Flying Swords.
Now, the white-haired youth finally panicked.
"You…"
Li Qingqiu wasn't interested in talking. He directly raised the Soul-Refining Banner and drew the youth's soul into it.
[Since your Dao Lineage has encountered a demonic attack for the first time, and though there were casualties, you eliminated the demon in time and averted a sect-destroying crisis, you have received 1 Fortune Opportunity.]
Li Qingqiu didn't feel any joy at the notification. He looked up, staring at the corpses in the distance, his heart heavy.
He suddenly realized that a large sect wasn't always a good thing. Without proper communication methods and formations, it could easily become an entry point for enemies.
But he didn't dwell on regret. He raised his hand and jabbed two needles into Xu Ning, then walked toward the fallen bodies.
Along the way, he also flicked two needles at Xue Jin in the distance.
The disciples rushed over and gathered around Xu Ning, asking about her condition.
"Go check on Xue Jin. I'm fine," Xu Ning said in a firm voice and sat down cross-legged.
Seeing her enter meditation, the disciples quickly headed toward Xue Jin.
Li Qingqiu arrived at the bodies of the Training Hall disciples, his face dark.
The souls of the fallen had already left their bodies. They floated dazed and aimless, waiting for the balance of yin and yang to take them into reincarnation after seven days.
Though death was unavoidable in building a sect—and this wasn't the first time—it happening here in the Taikun Mountain Range left Li Qingqiu with a sense of guilt.
Even though he was at the Nurturing Essence Realm, ninth layer, and already powerful, there were still people he couldn't protect.
He began to chant a spell—one he had developed himself. It was called the Clear Heart Incantation, a soul-based spell that allowed the spirits of the dead to briefly regain their former consciousness.
The spirits of the fifteen fallen Training Hall disciples quickly became lucid. When they saw Li Qingqiu, they instinctively bowed. But when they looked down and saw their own corpses, they froze in shock.
They had… died?
Li Qingqiu said, "In seven days, you'll enter the cycle of reincarnation. I can give you a choice. I can use your souls for now. Maybe, someday, I can help you live again in another form. But that's only a possibility—I may not be able to do it. So you'll decide for yourselves. If you choose reincarnation, and want me to pass on any last words to family or friends, just tell me. I promise I will."
The disciples exchanged looks, stunned. Everything had happened so fast—they couldn't decide immediately.
Li Qingqiu continued, "Take your time. I'll return shortly."
He turned and walked off into the snowy mist, disappearing in moments.
Eventually, he came to Liu Jie's body. Liu Jie had been beheaded. Li Qingqiu's expression didn't change. He walked over, picked up Liu Jie's head, and placed it beside his body to reassemble the corpse.
Then he cast the Clear Heart Incantation on Liu Jie's soul as well.
Liu Jie felt like he had just awoken from a nightmare. He snapped awake, and the first thing he saw was Li Qingqiu's figure.
Like the others, he bowed deeply. But when he looked down and saw his body, he froze.
He had died too?
A bitter smile spread across his face.
'I'm already dead… What am I bowing for? Sect Master probably can't even see me.'
He looked up at Li Qingqiu and asked in a low, bitter voice, "Martial Uncle… Did I let you down?"
Li Qingqiu met his eyes and replied, "No. You did great. And soon, many will be buried with you."
Liu Jie froze again, staring at Li Qingqiu in shock, unable to believe what he'd just heard.