Chapter 12

Stars dotted the sky sparsely.

A wind blew through the treetops, startling a few perched birds. Strange cackles echoed from all directions.

Their four eyes met, only to glance away with a sharp “tch.”

“So you can take on five by yourself?” Feng Qing, provoked into embarrassed anger by Li Ruoshui’s inexplicable gaze, huffed indignantly.

Li Ruoshui replied, “I can’t.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?!” Feng Qing raised her voice. As the chief disciple of the Wind Moon Heartless Sect, this was the first time she’d been underestimated.

Li Ruoshui stood her ground without flinching: “I’m just a loose cultivator. What’s wrong with being a bit weak?” If sword cultivators couldn’t handle a string of three, was she supposed to rely on the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art to take down opponents? Seeing Feng Qing’s paling face, she added, “I only know the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art.”

She had also made some progress with the Perfect Golden Body, having used precious medicines to temper her body and reach the first layer. But that was a defensive technique.

Feng Qing took a deep breath. “Fellow Daoist Shangshan, what did you do before?”

Li Ruoshui didn’t bat an eye. “Farmed.” Counting her previous life, that meant twenty-two years lying in a hospital bed or a game pod.

It was better to pin her hopes on Yao Changliu than expect the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art to defeat Empire cultivators. Feng Qing turned an expectant gaze toward Yao Changliu with full anticipation, successfully making the other woman step back. Yao Changliu would rather half-hide behind the black-hearted Li Ruoshui than meet Feng Qing’s burning eyes.

Li Ruoshui cleared her throat lightly and asked, “Fellow Daoist Feng Qing, what is your technique?”

Feng Qing’s face fell. “Nine Heavens Five Thunders Sword.”

Li Ruoshui’s eyes flashed. A thunder sword—the punishment of the heavens! She turned to Yao Changliu. “Fellow Daoist, can you refine Ma Fei Powder?”

Yao Changliu hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Li Ruoshui raised her brows with a smile. “Then we can discuss some strategies and tactics. Incorporate your thunder sword and Ma Fei Powder into the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art, and its power will surely increase.”

That ought to electrocute and numb those fellows.

At the Shedding Mortality and Heart Fixing stages, where resistances hadn’t built up yet, they were still chicken-pecking chickens.

“Spring Breeze… Rain Transformation?” Feng Qing eyed Li Ruoshui suspiciously.

Li Ruoshui said no more. She channeled her spiritual power, and a thin line of white light flashed forth like a blade slicing horizontally ahead. With a crisp crack, a tall tree behind them was severed at the waist. If Feng Qing hadn’t dodged quickly, the whole tree would have smashed onto her.

Feng Qing’s voice shot up. “You call this the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art?”

Li Ruoshui covered her ears and stepped farther from Feng Qing. She smiled faintly. “I also know the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Blossoms, Violent Rain of Pear Blossoms, Water Flooding Golden Mountain variations of the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art.”

The Golden Core Real Person had already been lured toward the area in the Path of No Return where Golden Core cultivators trained, and wouldn’t return for a while. Without the Golden Core Real Person’s protection, the Empire cultivator was at his weakest. Regardless of success, Li Ruoshui had to try. After Yao Changliu refined the Ma Fei Powder and antidote, the three flew toward the Cinnabar Ore Vein in Azure Wood Canyon.

A mile from the destination, two streaks of escaping light descended. Two daoists in round-collared black robes stepped out, their expressions stern as they blocked Li Ruoshui and the others. “Halt!” one called loudly.

Feng Qing glared hostilely at the black-robed cultivators.

The cultivator spotted her sect attire and paled slightly. “Wind Moon Heartless Sect?” The Empire owed a debt to the Wind Moon Heartless Sect, whose sword cultivators relentlessly pursued Empire daoists. Over time, this bred resentment in the Empire cultivators’ hearts. His gaze turned icy, as if he wanted to carve a chunk of flesh from Feng Qing.

The Empire cultivator barked, “His Highness Dong Wang is here. No outsiders may disturb!”

Feng Qing rolled her eyes. “Even if the Emperor rose from the grave, he couldn’t stop me.”

The Empire cultivator’s face darkened. “The highest cultivation among you is merely Heart Fixing Second Layer. How can you fight us? His Highness is merciful—if you retreat now, there will surely be generous rewards later!”

“Rewards? What rewards? Rong Ji’s head on a platter?” Feng Qing sneered mockingly, pulling full aggro. As the two cultivators’ fury ignited, she channeled her dharma sword and swiftly retreated two steps. “Fellow Daoist Shangshan, you’re up!”

Li Ruoshui: “?” What did retreating mean?

A fight was inevitable anyway—no need for excess chatter. The two daoists before them were both at Heart Fixing Second Layer. By sensing their auras, Li Ruoshui judged three more lurked nearby. The heavy night pressed down on the world. A cold glint flashed in Li Ruoshui’s eyes as she struck first! Her well-practiced Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Art needed no charging—wind came, rain came. Under her spiritual power, it turned into pattering raindrops smashing down.

“Spring Breeze Rain Transformation?” The two daoists recognized this basic technique for irrigating medicine fields and paid it no mind. Among the three opponents, only the Wind Moon Heartless Sect’s Feng Qing posed a real threat! They warily guarded against the retreating Feng Qing while offering their dharma artifacts.

Fortunately, Feng Qing didn’t drop the ball at the crucial moment. Dark clouds blotted the sky as wind and thunder stirred. She channeled her sword art and slashed horizontally ahead! The two daoists hastily escaped the fierce sword in fleeing light. But the sword light targeted the falling rain. Thunder qi was precisely delivered into the endless rain via sword intent. Thunder leaped through the rain curtain, turning it into a raging sea of lightning that surged like waves in the gale.

The two daoists had protective treasures glowing on them. Aside from their hair standing on end from the shocks, they suffered no visible injuries. They keenly sensed the thunder sword dispersing into the rain, its peerlessly sharp, unstoppable sword intent nearly worn away. With a sword cultivator’s intent dulled, what was there to fear?

Feng Qing’s mistake nearly made them laugh. They exchanged a glance, channeled their power, and charged forward. But in less than a breath, they felt their spiritual power drain empty. Their limbs went numb, unable even to maintain flight. They plummeted from midair with a thud.

It was Yao Changliu’s Ma Fei Powder, silently mixed into the rain, taking effect.

From the moment Li Ruoshui’s group attacked to subduing these two daoists, only moments passed. By the time the other two daoists arrived to aid, these two were already combat-incapable. Li Ruoshui’s group repeated the trick—these fellows from the same place fell into the same pit. The Heart Fixing Third Layer daoist lasted longer; his spiritual sense didn’t fully dissipate upon poisoning. He aimed first for Yao Changliu, only for her to expand her pill cauldron to human height, shrink inside, and seal the lid.

He turned to the other soft target—Li Ruoshui.

No movement arts, no advanced spells. Though her spiritual power far exceeded peers, without fitting arts, she couldn’t leverage her advantage.

The daoist’s judgment was sharp.

Dodging Feng Qing’s sword light, he lunged with grasping hands toward Li Ruoshui’s arm!

Li Ruoshui’s pupils shrank. In her prior state, that grab would have snapped her bones for sure!

Her movement was slower than his; Feng Qing couldn’t aid in time. She had no choice but to tank it.

Fortunately, she’d consulted her close friend and grasped the essentials of the Perfect Golden Body, swallowing that precious medicine from the demon clan to reach the first layer.

Lacking Five Elements Cinnabar for the Universe One Qi Palm, even comprehending the manual’s mysteries didn’t count as mastery. So, Universe One Qi Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Palm it was!

The surging water tide formed a deep blue palm slapping toward the daoist. Li Ruoshui retreated toward Feng Qing while channeling power. Upon the palm, two water streams formed scissors, stabbing at the daoist’s brow and eyes.

The daoist’s movements stuttered.

Feng Qing’s sword light arrived.

The cautious Yao Changliu peeked from the pill cauldron and tossed a medicine vial toward the palm.

With a bang, amid the rampant spiritual power flows, the vial shattered. A thick, foul stench spread in all directions.

The daoist’s eyes rolled back, and he crashed to the ground.

Li Ruoshui, closest, paled like paper and barely steadied herself. Her feet hit solid ground, and she clutched a tree, retching “blegh.”

Feng Qing didn’t dare approach the reeking Li Ruoshui. Staring wide-eyed with lingering fear, she asked, “What was that?”

Yao Changliu whispered, “Enhanced stinky version of Ma Fei Powder.”