With a whoosh, Yun Xi was enveloped in violet flames, blocking Li Chang's descending palm.
At the critical moment, the Mystic Thunder Violet Flame was summoned into space by Yun Xi, brushing past Dian Dian, who had also been sent into the spatial pocket.
The moment Li Chang appeared, Dian Dian whispered through telepathy: "Master, this person is also Li Chang. Why can he never be killed? And he isn't an evil cultivator either."
Yun Xi, dividing her attention, replied calmly: "I suspected earlier that he must have more than one clone. That explains why the Li Chang we killed before had cultivation at Nascent Soul early stage. Keep in mind, he is now in Divine Transformation.
One thing is certain—he could only reach Divine Transformation with the help of evil cultivators. That is why he appears in the secret realm. Since he has not fully turned to evil, he can provide shelter for evil cultivators after refining the realm."
"Master, Li Chang must be disguised, just like his previous clones. After refining the secret realm, he poses as a Dao cultivator in Weiyu Realm, raising no suspicion from other cultivators. Truly a good dog for evil cultivators."
Dian Dian knew how to deliver insults.
Yun Xi replied with calm precision: "This is merely an equal exchange. Otherwise, how could his Divine Transformation-level cultivation have been obtained?"
In the next moment, Li Chang struck. Yun Xi sent Dian Dian into the spatial pocket, while Zi Yan appeared above her head.
Li Chang's palm nearly scorched from the Mystic Thunder Violet Flame. Fortunately, he withdrew just in time, along with his black whisk weapon. His face twisted as he said, "So you absorbed the Mystic Thunder Violet Flame. Truly effortless to take what is mine!"
He then released his Divine Transformation-level pressure, attempting to pin Yun Xi down.
Yun Xi activated the Fufeng Step, increasing the distance between them. She could withstand Li Chang's pressure, but not his attacks—her cultivation was only at early Nascent Soul.
Her fluid movement made Li Chang frown. He found her steps familiar, and the fact that she could act freely under his Divine Transformation-level pressure raised suspicion. He became even more cautious.
Within mere breaths, they had clashed twice. Both times Yun Xi evaded, yet Li Chang became more determined to kill her. Evading a Divine Transformation cultivator's attacks while possessing a unique fire and potentially tools to nullify divine sense pressure—he would not let her escape.
The gray aura around the black stone dimmed significantly during their clash, giving the realm spirit a chance to wear down Li Chang's imprint. Thankfully, he had not fully succeeded, or the spirit would have suffered greatly.
Li Chang seemed to notice and coldly said: "A mere newly advanced Nascent Soul dares to compete with me for control of the secret realm. Today will be your death."
With a wave of his hand, his black whisk rapidly extended, splitting into thousands of strands that coiled around Yun Xi.
"Zi Yan, protect me."
Unable to determine Li Chang's spiritual root attributes, Yun Xi let Zi Yan absorb the first wave of attack while she communicated with the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella: "Hei Yao, let me see the full power of your attack."
"Understood."
Hei Yao responded eagerly. In the next instant, Yun Xi felt her entire spiritual energy flood into the umbrella. The rapid outflow of energy was overwhelmingly familiar.
At the critical moment, she swallowed the supreme-grade replenishing pill in her mouth and sent a telepathic message: "Xiao Xian!"
Xiao Xian, in perfect synchronization, shook her blades, sending more blue light into Yun Xi's meridians.
At this moment, the small Yun Xi floating in the dantian opened her eyes. She inhaled all the incoming spiritual energy, her body radiating purple, blue, and white light. She mirrored the movements of her main body and coldly shouted:
"Dragon Roar, Wind Chant!"
The black dragon on the umbrella roared, flipping its tail and leaping from the umbrella. It split into five, each black dragon enveloped in razor-sharp wind blades, charging toward Li Chang.
Li Chang snorted disdainfully, shaking his black whisk, which rapidly lengthened to ensnare the five dragons, attempting to shred them.
The black dragons roared, raising their black scales. With a Dragon Tail Sweep, they increased their speed, slicing through the whisk strands, neutralizing Li Chang's attack.
Yun Xi remained engulfed in violet flames, her spiritual energy cycling rapidly to maintain the ultimate technique. The immense flow strained her meridians, producing fine cracks barely noticeable. Without Xiao Xian's support, her ultimate move would have failed.
Now she realized Hei Yao had not exaggerated. Previously, saying she only exerted seventy percent of her power was already praise.
The two forces clashed in the void, ebbing and flowing, until Li Chang finally withdrew his whisk. He saw the strands torn by the black dragons could not be reattached, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes. Such a powerful artifact wasted in a minor Nascent Soul cultivator's hands!
The five black dragons reached Li Chang, but he swept them away with Divine Transformation-level force.
The dragons merged into one, letting out a defiant roar before returning to the umbrella.
Yun Xi's dantian was now empty. Even the small Yuányīng appeared fatigued. She knew this was a sign of depleted power and quickly swallowed another pill, frowning at Li Chang.
Li Chang locked onto her with divine sense, withdrawing the realm spirit's energy, intending to eliminate Yun Xi first. He coveted everything she carried.
Yun Xi had forgotten about the deal with the realm spirit. Only one thought occupied her mind: she had to kill Li Chang, or she might not leave the secret realm alive.
The gap between Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation was vast. Li Chang allowed her no time to strategize, flickering close and whipping out his whisk again.
Yun Xi instinctively rotated the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella. The black dragons leapt from its surface, surrounding her and blocking the attack.
Booms and crashes filled her ears. Yun Xi's brow furrowed, but the pill she had just swallowed began to take effect. A surge of blue spiritual energy poured into her dantian, restoring her Yuányīng within three breaths.
The energy did not wane but continued to nourish her Yuányīng, gradually enlarging it. Yun Xi's apparent cultivation advanced rapidly: early Nascent Soul peak, mid Nascent Soul, late Nascent Soul, late Nascent Soul full circle, Divine Transformation!
Li Chang's eyes widened as Yun Xi broke through to Divine Transformation. The single black dragon separated from its master, now forming nine black dragons, roaring toward him.
His black whisk was shredded by the nine dragons. He shouted, "Impossible!" yet instinctively wielded it against them.
At this moment, Yun Xi felt the overwhelming strength of Divine Transformation. Though she could only maintain it for five breaths, it was enough. She detected a spatial node, flashed into it, and appeared behind Li Chang the next instant, driving the Nine Nether Sword precisely toward his dantian.
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Fufeng step is the shortened version of 千影扶风 (Qiānyǐng fúfēng) the Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind