Xie Zhaolin shot to her feet, her gaze snapping downward.
A gray shadow flickered across the abyss below, and the chilling aura instantly told her who it was—it was the gray-robed man who'd lured her here in the first place!
"Shit!"
Her heart sank. She'd been so focused on dealing with the giant lizard that she'd completely forgotten about this deadly enemy!
She didn't have time to think. She immediately suppressed her aura and signaled her beast souls to stay on guard.
Down below, the giant lizard had gone berserk. Its massive tail smashed wildly against the surrounding cliffs, rock fragments exploding everywhere. Its blood-red eyes locked onto the gray-robed man, and a thunderous roar shook the abyss.
The man's figure darted through the gaps in the monster's strikes, ghostly and untouchable. He held a pitch-black longsword, its blade shrouded in eerie gray mist. Each swing carved a deep wound into the lizard's body.
"Roar!" The beast howled in agony, its maw gaping wide before it spat out a jet of black water.
The gray-robed man seemed ready for it. His body flickered aside, the jet grazing his robe before slamming into the cliff and corroding a gaping hole.
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes, studying him closely. Every strike was vicious and precise, aimed straight at the lizard's vital points. He clearly knew its weaknesses inside out.
"He's…" The realization hit her. "He's trying to take the Rebirth Flower before me!"
There was no time to wonder how he'd gotten down here. She kept her eyes fixed on his every move. The longer she watched, the more she noticed something off. His aura was unstable, fluctuating violently. It had to be the abyss's restrictions suppressing his cultivation.
Relief washed over her. If his power was limited, then she could just let the tiger and wolf tear at each other. She quietly retreated into a hidden nook, ordering her beast souls to stay sharp.
The battle grew fiercer.
The man's fury burned hotter, especially since the teleportation array had been destroyed. His sword hacked relentlessly, every slash stirring gray mist that left gaping wounds in the lizard's flesh.
The beast refused to bow, its tail sweeping across the battlefield, shattering stone pillars with terrifying force.
But soon, it faltered.
Its injuries were still unhealed, and the man's familiarity with its weak points sealed its fate. Just as Xie Zhaolin thought it was about to fight to the death, the beast suddenly opened its maw and released a thick cloud of black mist.
The fog spread like wildfire, blanketing the battlefield.
The man instantly leapt back, his sword tracing a gray shield before him. When the mist thinned, the beast was gone, leaving behind only sticky black sludge.
"Damn beast!" he spat, his voice tinged with weakness. He lingered to catch his breath, then suddenly raised his head and scanned the area.
Xie Zhaolin froze, immediately suppressing her aura.
Then she saw it—a faint spark of lightning in the shadows behind him. Dian Diao!
That little rascal had already snuck into position. Xie Zhaolin's heart stirred, and she instantly gave the order.
"Now!"
Dian Diao activated its new teleportation skill, dragging Xie Zhaolin straight behind the man. Her dagger, wrapped in spiritual power and baleful qi, drove mercilessly toward his heart.
"Puchi!"
The blade pierced flesh, but only halfway in before it stuck fast.
Her heart lurched. She detonated the spiritual power stored in the dagger, and Dian Diao reacted instantly, teleporting her away at the last split-second.
Boom!
The explosion shook the abyss, shockwaves rattling the cliffs. The blast sent Xie Zhaolin flying, slamming her hard into the wall. Blood welled in her throat and slipped from the corner of her lips.
When the smoke cleared, the man's silhouette emerged. He was on one knee, his robe shredded and charred, yet a dim gray shield still wrapped around him—a lifesaving treasure had spared him.
"Cough… cough…"
He spat blood, then slowly raised his head, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You're still alive?"
His gaze swept over her, disbelief etched into his face. "Perfect Foundation? That's impossible… And my Soul-Chasing Mark, how did you break it?"
Xie Zhaolin wiped the blood from her mouth and sneered. "Take a guess."
The man pushed himself up. His tattered robe stirred though there was no wind. "You've got some skill, but here, you're still no match for me."
He still sounded dismissive, but she could tell he was badly injured.
More importantly, with his power suppressed to no more than late Foundation Establishment, he wasn't unbeatable. A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Before he could move, she formed a rapid seal. Five beams of light burst from her Soul Nurturing Pearl!
Her beast souls attacked in perfect sync, their cooperation flawless.
The man hadn't expected her sudden assault. In a rush, he threw up a gray barrier, but the five strikes smashed into it at once.
Bang!
The shield trembled, cracks spreading across its surface. Instead of fear, greed lit up his eyes as he stared at her like she was some priceless treasure. His hands blurred with seals, and strange gray mist erupted from his body, solidifying into dozens of chains that lashed toward her.
"A fifteen-year-old at Foundation Establishment… Heaven itself favors me." His laughter was cold, voice brimming with twisted excitement. "Since you refuse to obey, don't blame me for cruelty. Today, you'll become my slave and never rise again!"
His words only made her eyes sharpen. Her strikes grew even fiercer, her beast souls hammering his defenses in relentless rhythm.
"Courting death!" he roared, sweeping his black sword.
But she was ready. Dian Diao blinked her away, and three thunder talismans shot from her sleeve.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blasts rocked the shield, and for a heartbeat, his defense faltered.
She seized the opening, her fingers flying into a seal. A silver beam shot from her palm, aiming straight for his dantian!
His face changed. He hadn't expected her ferocity.
"You—" He didn't finish.
She cut him off with another storm of attacks. Her dagger whirled, infused with lethal baleful qi, every strike gunning for a vital point.
What shocked him most was that her strength only grew sharper as the fight dragged on. Every move carried ruthless killing intent, nothing like what a fifteen-year-old girl should've been capable of. His face darkened. He couldn't stay here long.
A vicious light flickered in his eyes. He suddenly bit his tongue, spraying blood onto his sword. Gray mist exploded from the blade, and a crushing aura far beyond Foundation Establishment erupted!
Xie Zhaolin's body locked up, weighed down by the pressure.
That aura—it carried traces of Golden Core! Even with the abyss suppressing it, the weight alone was suffocating.
"I've no time to waste with you." He sneered, sealing with his left hand. A streak of gray light shot from his brow, piercing straight into her sea of consciousness.
"A genius like you… once I bind you with a slave contract, you'll be my sharpest blade!"