No one saw how Xiao Xue moved. But the moment she lifted her right hand, an aura belonging to a Peak Stage Martial Emperor Realm practitioner slowly built up and burst forth. Martial Spirit Realm is the highest cultivation realm that a practitioner could attain within the Lower Regions. A step away from Transcendence Realm which is the threshold to attaining true immortality.
Xiao Xue could feel her dantian crack further as dense spiritual energy circulated within her meridians. She ignored the immense bout of pain and continued to release the concealed strength that had been laying dormant within her injured body.
Xiao Xue knew that her time was limited. In order to ensure the other's survival, she had to use it wisely. Her fractured dantian would not be able to withstand the full force of her real strength. It would shatter from the stress and by then, she would be useless. A prolonged battle would mean death not just for her but for Xie Yuan and the rest as well.
Xiao Xue calmly eyed the three assassins standing not far from her. She tightly clenched the fingers of her upraised hand and viciously pulled.
Hei Yu, who was unaware of the danger, did not have time to scream as her world suddenly tilted and gradually turned dark. Even at the time of her death, Hei Yu remained oblivious of what happened and who caused her sudden demise.
Hei Yu's head drew a beautiful bloody arc as it flew, completely severed from her body. The moment it fell on the ground, her headless body fell in a kneeling position on the ground. With its uncanny prostrating position, it was as if Hei Yu was bowing towards Xiao Xue when the other wordlessly reaped her life.
Meng Quan and Hei She were extremely alarmed. They were watching Xiao Xue the entire time. From the moment she tossed the small disk in the air and erected the barrier, to the time she stepped out of the protection of the golden dome and hobbled forward and heroically stood in front of her friends.
But neither of them saw how Xiao Xue attacked Hei Yu. They only saw Hei Yu's head flying in the air with blood gushing out of her prostrating body dyeing the snow covered ground. Even the people protected within the golden barrier, except for Xie Yuan who was still blindly looking for a way out, were stunned by what they saw.
"I've faced beasts more vicious than you." Xiao Xue's unwavering gaze focused on Meng Quan. And as she slowly opened her clenched fist, the near invisible threads that she used to kill Hei Yu were finally revealed.
"Snow Spider Silk Threads!" Hei She exclaimed.
Snow Spiders are rare arachnid type spiritual beasts with the mutated elemental attribute of ice. These spiritual beasts are not that valuable and considered quite common within Lyra. And within the mountain ranges of the Black Highlands, there is a peak where these creatures lurk and burrow.
The redeeming quality of this seemingly common spiritual beast, that allowed it to be classified as 'rare', is its pure white crystalline shell that could be forged into a low-tier or mid-tier spiritual armor. But the most precious treasure from the body of the Snow Spider was neither its iced fangs nor its beast core, it's the Snow Spider's colorless silk threads.
A Snow Spider would release only one silk thread in its entire life. This silk thread would be barely an arm's length but it's incredibly sturdy, sharp and flexible. Usually these silk threads are used as auxiliary material to weave and forge whips and whisks. Because it is colorless and can only be gathered using a special method, it is impossible to collect more than one silk thread at a time.
Usually those who hunt for these silk threads would only manage to gather barely a palm's length, it would be incredibly precious if one could gather half an arm's length of threads.
The silk threads Xiao Xue used were not in any form of a whip or a whisk. The silk threads tied to the tip of her fingers were unforged and could only be considered as raw materials. But it's length was astonishing. Even if the Snow Spider Silk Threads are incredibly durable and sharp, it is extremely soft and hard to wield, unlike golden wires and ribbons. Brandishing such a thing and silently killing someone with it, is a feat only for masters.
Meng Quan finally felt a hint of threat when he stared at Xiao Xue. Even at Dragon's Gate, an organization built for killing people, those who use such a weapon could be counted on one hand. Hei She wanted to avenge his sister but the fear for Xiao Xue's unknown strength held him back.
Xiao Xue's plan was simple. She cannot fight all three if they attack together. She had to seize the initiative and get rid of one of the two apprentices beforehand. This would make Meng Quan wary but it would make the other apprentice hesitate. In a battle, if there is a slight hesitation it would mean death. And in this regard, after killing Hei Yu, it could be considered that she succeeded in attaining her first goal.
Now that the first step is done, the next thing would be to incapacitate the other apprentice and strive to kill Meng Quan before her strength runs out. Killing Hei She would be easier but it would be time consuming. Meng Quan is a bigger threat. Even if Hei She is left alive, Zhang Lao or Xie Yuan could easily kill him once the barrier is down.
But now that Meng Quan is wary of her, he would not allow Hei She to move on his own. Meng Quan might be strong but when faced with an unknown opponent, two against one is better than fighting alone. He would use Hei She to probe and once he is certain of Xiao Xue's abilities, he would deliver the killing blow.
This simple trap is what Xiao Xue laid out for Meng Quan. If he acts according to what she expects, killing Meng Quan would not be a problem for Xiao Xue. But if Meng Quan deviates, then it would be uncertain how the fight will end.
Xiao Xue is confident that Meng Quan will do as she expects. Even if Meng Quan knows that this is a trap in order to ensnare him, he is too arrogant to think that Xiao Xue would be able to kill him. As a renowned assassin, Meng Quan is self-assured. He believes he would be able to kill the other before the other kills him. This sort of arrogance would be the force that would bring about his reckoning.
The other thing that gives Xiao Xue comfort is the fact that Meng Quan also wants to end things early. While Xiao Xue was observing the fight earlier, she could see his impatience and need to get things done as quickly as possible. Why else would he use Lin Ru? She immediately surmised that his restlessness had something to do with the restriction between the realms. Xiao Xue deduced that even if the three assassins were able to enter the Lower Regions without having to suffer the restriction or any form of backlash, it would only be for a specified span of time.
Xiao Xue's deduction and view of the situation was spot on. And when Meng Quan and Hei She moved at the same time, she knew that she already won the bet and it was only a matter of time.
Xiao Xue blocked Meng Quan's attack and focused on Hei She. Since the characters are at play, she would have to meticulously set the stage. She would have to be patient. And as she met the two head on, she neither got the advantage nor suffered any disadvantage. She carefully led them on a steady dance and slowly pulled in the net.
Meng Quan attacked fiercely. He used vicious means to break Xiao Xue's unfaltering defense. With his Transcendence Realm cultivation, Meng Quan was surprised that he was unable to deal Xiao Xue with a killing blow. Xiao Xue seemed to be focusing all her attention and attacks on killing Hei She. She was guarded against him but was ruthlessly aiming to incapacitate and put an end to Hei She.
Meng Quan sneered in his heart. In his mind he could easily see through Xiao Xue's thoughts of getting rid of the easier opponent, first, before fighting the master one on one. How could Meng Quan allow such a good thing to happen to Xiao Xue when his victory is already assured?
Xiao Xue coughed out a mouthful of blood as she blocked another ruthless attack from Meng Quan. Meng Quan's clawed fingers dug on her shoulder and ruthlessly tore the flesh. If she had been slow in her reaction, those clawed fingers would have grabbed on to her neck instead.
Hei She, who was attacking in sync with his master, delivered a heavy kick that fractured Xiao Xue's ribs. She was forced to take a few steps back but immediately stabilized herself, in time to receive He She's follow up blow. Xiao Xue matched Hei She's rhythm and gave as much as she got. The merciless behavior she was exhibiting when she was meeting Hei She's blows were in stark contrast with her passive attitude towards defending against Meng Quan.
As Xiao Xue moved to deliver a ferocious palm strike that would have shattered Hei She's skull, Meng Quan moved and shielded Hei She. He wordlessly blocked the palm strike and pushed Hei She out of Xiao Xue's range. Hei She was caught unaware and it took some time to realize what happened.
What occurred next happened too fast and no one could have prevented it.
The palm strike that was supposed to kill Hei She was nothing but a deliberate taunt. Xiao Xue purposely created an opening, baiting Meng Quan to intervene. Throughout the exchanges between the three, Xiao Xue slowly made Meng Quan think that she was aiming to get rid of Hei She. Her vigilance towards Meng Quan was high but she deliberately withheld attacking him. She deliberately allowed some of his well-timed attacks to penetrate her defenses and purposely suffered injuries to keep the wool over his eyes.
Xiao Xue knew that once Meng Quan belief is set, that she was out to get Hei She first, and if she showed some form of vulnerability, Meng Quan would immediately make a move and would not hesitate to deal the killing blow. Her time was almost up. This was her last gamble. If Meng Quan did not jump in to save Hei She, she would have been forced to detonate her dantain earlier and risk only injuring Meng Quan instead of killing him. But Meng Quan foolishly jumped on the trap that she set.
Meng Quan's eyes glowed with sadistic light as he blocked and wound up for the killing blow. But he was astonished to find that the cunning strike changed course. Xiao Xue's fingers curled around his wrist and taking advantage of his forward momentum, she pulled his body forward. Her arms instantly coiled around his back and waist as colorless threads circled, numerous times, around their close forms.
Meng Quan finally realized that she was not out to kill Hei She. In that brief moment, before his death, he thought back on how he slowly but unconsciously fell into her trap. He, who has been cunning and ruthless all his life, fell for a deliberate and simple taunt. But the realization came too late.
At the end, at that moment, it was as if the world stood still. Xiao Xue looked up and met Xie Yuan's crazed eyes. His fists were bloodied as he continued to attack and create an opening on the golden barrier. Xiao Xue's gaze softened as she gently smiled. She was happy and content that at least she got to see him, one last time, before she died.
Xiao Xue's gentle gaze moved and locked onto Meng Quan's frantic ones. The tender glow, that was meant only for Xie Yuan, was replaced with firm and provoking glint. The blood that trickled on the sides of her upturned lips was quite ghastly but she did not hesitate nor think twice.
It was apparent that she was tethering at the edge, between life and death. But before she dies, she would take the devil with her. Xiao Xue moved to firmly hold Meng Quan closer as she pitched, head first, towards the crack on the snow covered ground. Meng Quan's scream was drowned by the rush of howling wind blowing from underground.