“Long time no see, Fellow Daoist Wu.”
It was a familiar greeting, but this time it was not directed at the cold Saintess. Instead, it was addressed to a man wearing teal robes and holding a whisking dust. He possessed a fair, handsome face and a tall, slender build.
“Thank you for your assistance back in the Secret Realm.”
Before the battle commenced, Xie Wenyuan bowed deeply toward Yan to express his gratitude. At this moment, he looked like a completely different person compared to the wretched figure he had been in the Secret Realm.
“No need for thanks. I was simply acting as the situation required.”
“However, even when facing my savior, I will not go easy on you.”
“That is for the best.”
The conversation ended there.
Xie Wenyuan gripped his whisking dust as a mysterious Daoist charm began to circulate around him.
Before she had stepped onto the stage, Lin Xiao had told Yan that Xie Wenyuan’s primary method of attack was the Five Elements Daoist Arts. Therefore, to defeat him, she had to engage in close-quarters combat to prevent him from having enough time to perform a Five Elements Transformation.
Yan’s figure blurred, and in the next heartbeat, she appeared directly in front of Xie Wenyuan.
Faced with such a violent and rapid advancement, Xie Wenyuan was clearly prepared. Several earth walls rose abruptly from the ground, shielding him within.
“Fellow Daoist Wu, I have already studied your combat style. I will not let you close the distance so easily.”
Xie Wenyuan’s refined voice drifted out from behind the earth walls.
In the next instant, his figure reappeared 3 feet away.
Earth-Shrinking Step — a classic Earth Escape Art.
Once he had escaped Yan’s attack range, Xie Wenyuan flicked his right hand. The original earth walls instantly shattered and restructured themselves into an earth dragon that lunged toward Yan.
But his offensive did not stop there. He drew a small knife from his waist and pressed his index and middle fingers together, sliding them along the blade.
“Sharpening.”
In a flash, the surface of the earth dragon took on a metallic luster. Its originally dull claws now carried the sharp, piercing edge of the gold attribute.
Earth governs defense, while gold governs offense. When earth produces gold, the result is the unification of offense and defense.
With that single touch, the earth dragon made of rock underwent an instantaneous metamorphosis.
He truly was the Chief Disciple of the Taiqing Sect; he was indeed difficult to deal with.
Facing the earth dragon that had already reached her, Yan had no way to dodge and could only face it head-on.
“Ethereal Sword Formula: Myriad Transformations!”
Her sword speed increased abruptly, leaving only afterimages of Wu Nian in her hand. The sounds of clashing metal rang out continuously as sparks flew in all directions.
A moment later, the hideous earth dragon shattered with a bang, sending rock fragments flying everywhere.
Before the dust could settle, Yan charged out, her sword momentum undiminished.
“Excellent swordsmanship!” Xie Wenyuan’s eyes were full of admiration. His movements were as fluid as flowing water as he pulled back to increase the distance once more.
He pressed his palms together, and violent fire-type Spiritual Power erupted from his hands.
“Samadhi Distant Fire!”
Yan instinctively swung her sword, calling forth a sudden gale.
However, the flames were not extinguished as she had expected. Instead, they grew even more vigorous under the force of the wind, instantly transforming half the stage into a sea of fire.
The fire borrowed the wind’s power.
Xie Wenyuan smiled slightly. “Fellow Daoist Wu, I told you, I have studied your moves. This strange Spiritual Wind was naturally within the scope of my research.”
‘Tsk, arrogant prick!’ Wu Yan huffed. She had always disliked the Taiqing Sect, and seeing Xie Wenyuan so confident and composed made her even more annoyed.
‘Little Yan, as long as you say something nice, I’ll immediately tell you how to beat him until he’s crawling on the ground!’
‘No need.’
Yan directly refused as she dodged the fireballs flying out from the sea of flames.
“You — you!”
The sea of fire continued to shrink, trapping Yan within. The surging heatwaves scorched a few small holes into the hem of her Daoist robes, and the surrounding air felt as though it were being burned away.
“It is not over yet, Fellow Daoist Wu!”
Xie Wenyuan waved his sleeve, and a talisman suspended itself in mid-air. Purple lightning flickered and jumped across its surface.
“Trembling Thunder, fall!”
Just as Yan turned her body to avoid a fireball, a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm crashed down, striking exactly where she was about to step.
“Is this the strength of the Taiqing Sect’s Chief Disciple? He is practically a human artillery battery!”
“It is over, it is all over! My Spirit Stones! I bet everything on her!”
On the stage, Yan looked slightly disheveled.
Although she had used her protective Spiritual Power to block the lightning strike in time, her robes were still burned in several places. The opponent’s offensive was complex and ever-changing; she had to seize a true opportunity.
And now, that opportunity had arrived.
Lightning was not part of the five elements. After using a talisman, there would inevitably be a brief gap in his control over the sea of fire.
Yan’s legs tensed as she leaned forward and took a sudden, violent step. A visible wind field wrapped around her, tearing a path through the sea of flames.
10 feet… 6 feet… 3 feet!
Wu Nian was already poised and ready, pointing directly at Xie Wenyuan’s right arm.
Facing this strike that was timed with extreme precision, Xie Wenyuan did not panic at all. Instead, he revealed a meaningful smile. Two exquisite jade bottles suddenly appeared, blocking the space between the two of them.
Bang!
The jade bottles shattered upon impact. A withered tree branch fell to the ground as crystal-clear water splashed out from the bottles.
“Three Thousand Weak Waters, Kan Water!”
As the words fell, the water gathered in front of him with a splash, forming a transparent water curtain.
“Fellow Daoist Wu, you have fallen into my trap.”
Xie Wenyuan’s confident voice rang out.
‘Oh no!’
Yan suddenly realized the significance of the withered branch that had fallen with the shards. Sure enough, the ground began to writhe eerily. In the next instant, countless emerald-green vines burst through the soil, instantly entangling her ankles and waist.
Wood is born from water. He used the water curtain for defense and then used the wooden vines to trap his enemy.
He truly was a Heaven’s Favorite of the Taiqing Sect; his application of the Five Elements Daoist Arts was masterful.
“I have finally trapped you. Surrender, Fellow Daoist Wu.”
Xie Wenyuan spoke while standing at a distance. The vines had not bound her wrists, so he still did not dare to approach her carelessly.
“Yo, it looks like your friend is going to lose.”
The white-haired old man spoke to Bai Zhiqiu, who had already changed into clean Daoist robes.
“Do not worry, she will not lose,” Bai Zhiqiu said, her tone full of trust.
The old man raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did you calculate that?”
Bai Zhiqiu shook her head and said with a feigned air of mystery, “One hundred successes out of one hundred calculations is merely the result of diligent deduction.”
Meanwhile, on the stage, the situation had quietly changed.
Wu Nian, which was stalled within the water curtain, had become translucent at some point. The blade began to vibrate rhythmically. A low sound of wind started to echo from every corner of the stage.
At first, it was just a comfortable breeze. Then, the breeze gathered into gusts. After that, a wild wind howled. Even the sea of fire behind Yan was completely extinguished by the gradually strengthening wind.
Yan poured even more Spiritual Power into Wu Nian, causing the blade’s vibrations to grow more intense.
The wind grew more and more violent. The vines binding her were all severed by wind blades, and the heavy Kan Water shield was torn apart by the induced hurricane, turning into fine droplets of water that swept out along with the wind blades.
“How is this possible?” Xie Wenyuan cried out in shock.
The water droplets and wind blades intertwined into an offensive like a rainstorm, rushing straight toward him. Xie Wenyuan did not have time to defend. His protective Spirit Chi was torn apart by the gale, and the water droplets slammed into him, knocking him back several meters as blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
With just this one move, the tides of battle turned.
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