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Join the ServerThe valley, cradled by three factions, was a vision of picturesque mountains and crystal-clear waters, yet none of those who ventured there had the leisure to appreciate its beauty.
Within the tranquil forest, a figure darted past with astonishing speed, immediately pursued by common Five-Element spells like searing fireballs and piercing golden arrows.
A fireball struck the very ground the figure had just vacated, its explosive force even felling nearby trees, while golden arrows, anticipating their target’s movements, seemed poised to strike, only to be narrowly dodged.
“Senior Brother, though this person is merely at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, they possess an incredible knack for evasion.”
“Indeed, it’s peculiar. They most likely possess some treasure that enhances their speed.”
Following the barrage of Five-Element spells, two men of similar stature whistled past; the taller one, who had spoken previously, seemed to be pondering something deeply.
“I noticed a Lightness Talisman affixed to her leg earlier; it’s quite possible…”
“The external aid provided by spirit talismans is merely a minor boost. How could a simple Lightness Talisman possibly bridge the cultivation gap between us?”
As they spoke, both men simultaneously channeled spiritual energy throughout their bodies, each conjuring a golden arrow.
Having grown accustomed to their target’s movements from prior attempts, the two now had a clearer idea of how to strike. A volley of golden arrows simultaneously shot towards the fleeting figure.
Lian Yueying sensed the imminent danger, slamming her feet down to leap three zhang (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately 3.33 meters) away. Yet, this time, she couldn’t outrun the golden arrows. She swiftly turned, feigning a spell incantation, while secretly channeling spiritual energy into the talisman in her hand. Instantly, a massive earthen-yellow shield materialized, intercepting the golden arrows.
The earthen-yellow shield resembled a solid stone slab, bristling with numerous sharp spikes.
‘I’ve never encountered these two before. Why would they pursue me with such fervor? Could it be that the Harmony Fruit has been discovered?’
Despite her growing suspicion, Lian Yueying remained vigilant. She hurled the massive shield at her pursuers before immediately turning and fleeing, the shield detonating moments later.
‘One is at the eighth layer, the other at the ninth; I definitely can’t defeat them in a direct confrontation. Any delay could lead to complications. I must shake them off quickly and then retrieve the Harmony Fruit.’
Having made an instantaneous decision, Lian Yueying performed a hand seal, and numerous tiny air currents immediately began to swirl around her body. This was the Same Wind Art, a technique that granted her a gust of wind to propel her further with every step she took.
Behind her, the exploding shield had failed to slow the two men. As the dust settled, they were already closing in again.
“That’s the Mountain-Upholding Shield, Senior Brother. Could this person be a direct disciple of the Mountain-Upholding Sect? And she’s become significantly faster after changing direction.”
“The Mountain-Upholding Sect wouldn’t send a direct disciple at only the fifth layer of Qi Condensation to participate in the valley’s treasure hunt. However, she certainly has some unique abilities. Let’s not grow complacent; we should pursue her with all our might.”
As he finished speaking, both men simultaneously unleashed their movement techniques, their speeds surging dramatically, instantly narrowing the gap between themselves and Lian Yueying.
‘No, at this rate, I’ll likely be caught before I even reach the trap.’
Lian Yueying’s delicate brows furrowed with concern. Barely at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, she possessed no protective treasures and was merely an ordinary inner disciple, her strength insufficient and her resources meager.
‘Had I not invested my meager savings to bolster my strength before joining this valley treasure hunt, my predicament would be far more dire. These Green Forest Sect disciples are truly despicable!’
Despite the frustration simmering within her, Lian Yueying remained remarkably calm. She turned her head, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes pinpointing the pursuers’ location, as the ‘hair tie’ securing her waist-length hair subtly pulsed with light.
It was one of her few, yet somewhat fragile, trump cards, one she needed to utilize with utmost precision. Thus, she refrained from deploying it immediately.
As she strategized, golden arrows assailed her once more. Lian Yueying, employing her previous tactic, steadfastly blocked them with the Mountain-Upholding Shield. However, this time, the golden arrows were accompanied by incredibly sharp wooden shuttles.
In the world of cultivation, disparities in cultivation levels are indeed formidable, yet it is commonly said that one truly enters the path of immortality only upon reaching Foundation Establishment. Consequently, in terms of spellcasting alone, a few layers of difference within the Qi Condensation stage do not create an insurmountable gap.
The Mountain-Upholding Shield, a renowned defensive spell of the Mountain-Upholding Sect, should have been capable of repelling it. Yet, the wooden shuttle pierced straight through the massive shield, halting mere inches from Lian Yueying’s face.
While the principle of Five-Element counteraction held true, this particular wooden shuttle was clearly no ordinary Five-Element spell.
‘It’s the Green Forest Sect’s Azure Edge Shuttle! This technique is certainly not something an ordinary disciple would master. But shouldn’t the core disciples of the three factions be gathered in the valley’s center, preparing to vie for the pure Earth-Surging Spiritual Spring?’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lian Yueying kicked the massive shield away, using the recoil to propel herself several zhang further.
The shield detonated once more, yet again proving largely ineffective.
“Senior Brother, your insight is keen. Judging by the resilience of this Mountain-Upholding Shield, this person is likely nothing more than an obscure, ordinary disciple of the Mountain-Upholding Sect.”
“While the Mountain-Upholding Shield is versatile in both offense and defense, she rarely controls the timing of her spells, indicating a probable lack of practice.”
‘Though he hasn’t yet seen through my subtle maneuvers, his words ring true; the drawbacks of casting spells via talismans are indeed quite apparent.’
Lian Yueying could clearly discern their conversation, a sign of their proximity. The rising spiritual energy fluctuations behind her further confirmed this, and with the trap now directly ahead, she knew she could no longer afford to delay.
As she deliberated, one of the pursuers abruptly lunged forward, closing the distance. Lian Yueying instinctively cast another Mountain-Upholding Shield, attempting to block, but as expected, the man’s sword, imbued with an azure glow, merely paused for an instant upon striking the massive shield before thrusting straight through, its momentum only then dissipating.
At such a dangerously close range, even an uncontrolled detonation of the shield would impact her opponent. Lian Yueying disregarded this, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her back as she gazed at the sharp sword tip, and immediately channeled her full spiritual energy to perform a hand seal.
However, not only was the shield’s explosion effortlessly parried by her opponent’s defensive spell, but another wooden shuttle burst forth from the swirling dust. Lian Yueying’s eyes widened, and her ‘hair tie’ instantly transformed into a formidable saber, clashing against the incoming shuttle.
It was then that the two men realized Lian Yueying’s so-called hair tie was, in fact, a talisman—and not merely a single one.
“The Great Power Saber! The Mountain-Upholding Sect can actually imbue such a technique onto a talisman?”
“Attack again!”
The three sects encircling the valley had been locked in conflict for centuries, making them intimately familiar with each other’s spellcraft. After the clash of their spells dissipated, the Senior Brother, from a short distance away, recognized the technique, while the Junior Brother, closer at hand, stepped forward and unleashed another sword strike.
Their coordination wasn’t seamless, yet either of them alone presented an insurmountable challenge for Lian Yueying. Fortunately, she possessed keen self-awareness and had already performed a hand seal, personally unleashing another Mountain-Upholding Shield.
This time, the massive shield met the longsword, perfectly deflecting the opponent’s assault. The Junior Brother’s brow furrowed as a sense of unease crept in, but before he could fully react, the shield’s spikes shot towards his face. The Senior Brother, arriving a moment later, drew his sword and, channeling spiritual energy, thrust it fiercely into the shield, yet failed to pierce it.
‘Now is the moment!’
Lian Yueying immediately leaped backward, and after detonating the massive shield, she didn’t pursue her attackers but instead turned and fled.
Her instincts proved correct. The Mountain-Upholding Shield, primarily a defensive art, had caught her opponents off guard with its earthen spikes and explosion. After a few breaths of obstruction, the two men, covered in dust, burst forth from the debris.
“That little vixen tricked us! Damnation!”
With that exclamation, the Junior Brother renewed his pursuit of Lian Yueying, while the Senior Brother paused for a breath to collect his thoughts before drawing a deep breath and catching up.
In the distance, Lian Yueying spotted the location of her prepared trap. After swiftly passing it, she immediately ducked behind a tree, where she steadied her breathing and silently adjusted the spiritual energy within her body.
‘They were caught off guard because they underestimated me, but precisely because of that, they could easily recover. The Mountain-Upholding Shield had minimal impact on them…’
As she pondered, Lian Yueying watched the two figures rushing towards her. Just as they were about to step into her carefully prepared trap, they suddenly halted, causing her heart to sink.
“Junior Sister, there’s no need to hide any longer. If you’re too exhausted to run, come out now and spare yourself unnecessary suffering.”
‘How did they know I was here? Don’t rush, it might be a trick.’
When her silence was met with no response, the Junior Brother made to advance, but was promptly halted by the Senior Brother. Immediately after, the Senior Brother hurled a fireball towards the distant tree where Lian Yueying was hidden.
Feeling the intense heat drawing near, Lian Yueying effortlessly stepped to her left, dodging the attack, and landed to the side, her gaze fixed on the two men opposite her.
‘How strange. A moment ago, we were quite far apart, and the dust obscured vision. My cultivation is only at Qi Condensation, so I don’t possess divine sense…’
With this thought, Lian Yueying scanned the spiritual energy around her body and, sure enough, detected an anomaly on her back.
‘It must have been placed on me right at the start. Back then, I was solely preoccupied with whether the Harmony Fruit had been exposed, and with their relentless pursuit, I utterly failed to notice it. But how does the Green Forest Sect possess such a spell?’
With this realization, Lian Yueying secretly channeled spiritual energy to dispel the mark. A bright smile graced her face as she bowed respectfully. “Both Senior Brothers display remarkable skill,” she began, “surely you are esteemed figures within your sect. Why then pursue a mere weak woman like myself so relentlessly?”
Lian Yueying was still in her tender youth (TL Note: ‘Zǒngjiǎo zhī nián’ refers to the age of a child, typically before puberty, indicated by hair styled into two horns), with many of her features not yet fully developed. Individually, her facial attributes weren’t exceptionally striking. Yet, the warmth in her peach-blossom eyes, the subtle elegance of her cherry-red lips, and her delicate jade-like nose each contributed to an overall harmonious impression. Combined with her fair, tender skin, it all coalesced into a perfectly suited appearance. Dressed in the Mountain-Upholding Sect’s pale yellow robes, she exuded the approachable charm of a refined girl-next-door.
Beautiful women were a delight to behold, a weakness even cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage found hard to resist. The Junior Brother from the Green Forest Sect lowered his guard slightly and chuckled, “Our Green Forest Sect has always maintained good relations with the Mountain-Upholding Sect. There must have been a misunderstanding during our initial encounter, Junior Sister. Please don’t take offense.”
‘A misunderstanding? You’ve been chasing me across half the valley, and now you utter such nonsense?’
“It’s reassuring to hear you say that, Senior Brother. Since it was a misunderstanding, I shall take my leave now.”
“Wait a moment. With three factions converging in the valley, if Junior Sister has no fellow disciples to assist her, why not join us? We could look out for one another and avoid attacks from the madmen of the Blazing Fire Sect.”
Lian Yueying glanced at the speaker, wondering if he was feigning ignorance, then her gaze flickered to the silent ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator beside him, and her unease deepened.
Her experiences from childhood to the present had made Lian Yueying far more cautious than most, yet this was her first time confronting so many cultivators. It was said that human hearts were unfathomable, and cultivators’ intentions were often even more treacherous than those of mortals.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother, but I have matters to attend to and cannot accompany the two of you. Farewell.”
Having spoken, Lian Yueying saw that the two hadn’t moved and turned to leave, only to spot another figure swiftly approaching from the distance.
‘They were stalling for time!’
Lian Yueying inwardly cursed, immediately activating the Same Wind Art and fleeing to the right. Yet, she saw another person there too. Glancing back at the only remaining gap in the encirclement, the previously silent Senior Brother had already positioned himself there.
The two newcomers were at the sixth and eighth layers of Qi Condensation, respectively, still beyond Lian Yueying’s ability to contend with. She no longer had the presence of mind to ponder why they were cornering a mere fifth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator like herself. Instinctively, she charged towards the one at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation.
With her spiritual energy fully activated, Lian Yueying’s body shimmered with a faint blue glow. However, it was her ‘hair tie,’ the true talisman, that unleashed its power first.
The Great Power Saber instantly materialized, cleaving fiercely downwards towards her opponent. Immediately after, Lian Yueying’s right hand glowed blue as she formed a sword-finger, sending three swift, slender streams of seemingly solidified water directly towards the opponent’s chest.
Confronted with such an immediate assault, her opponent showed no hint of underestimation, instantly activating a spell to meet the attack.
The other three did not merely watch; they converged, and the previously silent Senior Brother shouted, “Stop her! This person hasn’t cultivated the Mountain-Upholding Art, yet she possesses some peculiar abilities. Do not be careless; let us combine our strength and quickly capture her!”
You’ve got to see this next! I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time
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