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Qian Renxue's Angelic Roar met Ning Tian's Seven Killing Sword Technique, charged with Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning.
A loud boom echoed as Qian Renxue's attack crashed into the three glowing "Kill" characters. The brilliant gold shattered like a mirror, each piece breaking into countless tiny sparks that faded into the air. The underground training ground, once alive with color, returned to its plain, original state.
Two figures hung in mid-air. Qian Renxue stretched her dim golden wings as far as she could, struggling to steady herself. The moment she stopped, a gush of thick blood burst from her mouth, her bright red lips turning a dark, bruised purple.
The sword energy, stacked with three "Kill" characters, didn't just help the Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning break her Angelic Roar. It also smashed through her Angel Domain, hitting her hard and forcing her martial soul back into her body.
Across from her, Ning Tian's face was pale. He gripped his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword backward, leaning on it to hold himself up, his body trembling heavily.
'Did I go too far?' Ning Tian wondered quietly, glancing at the battered Qian Renxue.
Without the Gold-Devouring Beetles, there was still a gap between Ning Tian and Qian Renxue's strength. His Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning couldn't fully counter her, only keeping her Angel Domain from overwhelming him. But the real difference was Tang Hao, his living power source, keeping him at peak condition. Qian Renxue, meanwhile, was wearing down fast. With one side rising and the other falling, her loss was no shock.
To keep his win from looking too easy, Ning Tian quietly pushed his soul power, forcing a bit of blood from his mouth. Then he stood up, making it look like a struggle.
Qian Renxue saw the blood and didn't question it. Her Angelic Roar had taken nearly all her soul power and the full strength of her Angel Domain. It would be strange, if he was unhurt.
But when he got to his feet, her eyes widened in disbelief, her mind spinning with doubt.
Ning Tian was standing, and he even looked ready to keep fighting. She, on the other hand, had only a pitiful scrap of soul power left, not enough to hold her martial soul.
Just then, two figures, Snake Lance and Porcupine Fish, rushed in from outside the training room. They'd been watching with their spiritual senses, knowing Qian Renxue was the granddaughter of the Martial Soul Hall's Grand Worshipper. If anything happened to her, they'd be the ones to answer for it. Feeling her breath was weaker than before, they flew in without hesitation.
They froze at the sight: Qian Renxue on one knee, blood dripping from her mouth, her Angel martial soul gone, while Ning Tian stood across from her, pale and bloodied at the lips but otherwise fine, with sword in hand. Their young master had lost. How could this happen?
They knew her strength well. As a Spirit Emperor with an Angel Domain, she was unmatched below Spirit Douluo level. Yet here she was, beaten by Ning Tian, a Spirit Ancestor at just level 48. This kid's potential was terrifying. If they couldn't win him over, he might one day threaten the Martial Soul Hall. And now, with her defeat, bringing him in seemed impossible.
Their eyes met, a flash of killing intent between them, and they moved to act. But before they could, Ning Tian spoke up. "Are you two seniors planning to kill me?"
He'd been watching these crafty old men from the start, so the second they arrived, he called them out.
Qian Renxue caught on fast. She glanced at Snake Lance and Porcupine Fish, saw the real threat in their eyes, and snapped, "What are you trying to do?"
They hesitated. Porcupine Fish started, "Young Master, we—" but Qian Renxue cut him off. "She Long, Ci Xue, listen clearly: this is between me and Ning Tian. If you dare step in, don't expect me to hold back."
She Long paused, then said, "But Young Master, he won't join the Martial Soul Hall. He could be a danger later on. And he knows who you are. If that gets out, all our years of work could be ruined."
"Didn't you hear me?" Qian Renxue's voice turned icy.
She Long went quiet. She added, "Get out. Don't come back without my say-so."
"Yes!" they answered respectfully and left.
How simple and sweet, Ning Tian thought, a small smile creeping onto his face as he listened. "That senior's worry makes sense. Aren't you scared I'll spill your secret?"
Qian Renxue wiped the blood from her mouth. Looking at Ning Tian's tall, sharp features, her anger faded into a soft smile. "You won this fight. By our deal, if I lost, you'd serve me, but since you won, you're my friend. I've looked into you, and I know you're not the type to turn on a friend. You've got no ties to the Heaven Dou royals either, why would you ruin things with me for people you don't even know?"
Ning Tian chuckled. "You're pretty sharp, huh?"
Qian Renxue didn't catch the playful jab, taking it as praise. She smiled a little and said, "If I wasn't, would I be standing here today?"
'If she weren't so caught up in romance and that knightly honor stuff,' Ning Tian thought to himself. He put away his Azure Bamboo Cloudawarm Sword and stepped closer. "You're hurt badly. If it's okay, let me help you recover."
"Alright." Feeling they were friends now, Qian Renxue didn't say no.
Ning Tian sat behind her, legs crossed, and started sending his soul power into her. The calm, steady energy flowed in, and Qian Renxue felt a comfort she'd never known. After a bit, she thought of something and asked, "Can I ask you something?"
"Mm," Ning Tian nodded, waiting.
She remembered back when she was pretending to be Xue Qinghe, and Ning Tian had gotten a bit too close. Facing away, her cheeks warmed slightly as she said, "Did you figure out I was a girl way back then?"
"Pfft," Ning Tian almost tripped over himself, nearly bumping her back, shaking his head fast. "No way. You hid it so well, how could I tell? If you hadn't shown up today, I'd never have guessed. So please, don't take chances like that again."
Qian Renxue let out a quiet "oh," saying nothing more, though a faint blush deepened on her cheeks.
In her mind, Ning Tian had become the very picture of wisdom, outshining even the famed Master Zhu QIng. With just one brief meeting, he had seen right through her disguise: a clear sign of his sharp mind. What made it even more impressive was that he had reached this level with only half a level of innate soul power.
Next to him, the man that woman couldn't stop thinking about was nothing but an empty shell, a fake. Still, Qian Renxue could almost see why that woman had been so taken with Yu Xiaogang. Even if his wisdom was a sham, to her, it must have seemed real. And a man who appeared wise did have a certain charm.
But Ning Tian was different. He didn't just have brains but he had the strength to beat her in a fight and good looks to match. It felt like, in some quiet rivalry with that woman, Qian Renxue had come out on top.
Both he and Ning Tian had started with the same limit: half a level of innate soul power. Yet, he had not only shone with wisdom but had turned his fate around completely. Meanwhile, the man that woman adored had become a worn-out, middle-aged wreck, his theories either stolen or leading others astray. He had no real smarts to speak of.
Qian Renxue couldn't figure out what that woman had ever seen in a failure like Yu Xiaogang.
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