Shen Sanhua's sudden agile movements, resembling those of a martial artist, were the main reason Wan You, who had the advantage of high intelligence, couldn't defeat and kill her.
If it were an ordinary possessed person, regardless of their high cultivation level, lacking any spiritual intelligence, they would be no different from mere moving practice targets.
After deftly avoiding Niu Chang's right punch by shifting her body, Shen Sanhua skillfully utilized Niu Chang's momentum to her advantage and delivered a powerful kick to his head.
Unable to keep up with her high-speed movements, Niu Chang was sent flying backward. Fortunately, since he primarily focused on defense, his head remained intact despite the force of the kick.
After landing on the ground, Niu Chang felt a pang of pain in his neck, but it quickly subsided.
'What was that? It felt as though someone else was controlling that body, rather than this lifeless girl. Wait, lifeless? Is this little girl possessed by something? The system didn't mention two names. Does that mean the little girl is already dead and her body is now fully occupied by this Shen Sanhua?' Various thoughts raced through Niu Chang's mind, but he only paid attention to the important ones, as Shen Sanhua had already made her second move.
Niu Chang didn't back down from the challenge and charged forward. No matter how strong his enemy was, they were ultimately limited by their qi and stamina.
"Senior brother, why does this boy's movement seem so crude?" Wei Hong couldn't help but ask. She could sense the domineering qi emanating from Niu Chang's body, but her nature deeply ingrained calling Niu Chang a boy.
"Don't speak nonsense. Even if this senior lacks refined martial techniques, his cultivation level is at the grandmaster level. So watch your mouth next time," Wan You reprimanded tersely.
They observed the battle between Niu Chang and Shen Sanhua. Instead of calling it a battle, it seemed more like a one-sided beating.
Initially, Niu Chang had the advantage with his agile movements, but as they closed in, Shen Sanhua gained the upper hand and delivered fatal blows to Niu Chang's vital spots.
Niu Chang was effectively sent flying backward, but he gradually learned from his mistakes and was thrown less frequently.
Before long, the battle neared its end, as Shen Sanhua's qi began to dwindle. Each of her attacks carried powerful qi that could easily kill Wan You with a single strike. However, facing the resilient Niu Chang, her power wasn't enough to kill him in one attack.
"Senior brother, why does this senior always smile before attacking the spirit?" Wei Hong couldn't help but ask after noticing Niu Chang consistently smiling at Shen Sanhua.
This question had also crossed Wan You's mind, but he didn't voice it. "Perhaps it's some kind of martial art that this senior has practiced. Don't you see how his white qi turns red when he smiles?"
"Yes, his qi turns red when he smiles, and I can faintly smell the fragrance of cherry blossoms. Senior brother, do you think he is from the Lunar Blossom sect?"
The Lunar Blossom sect was a powerful and well-known sect that focused on cherry blossoms as their core technique.
"Perhaps, but I've met disciples from the Lunar Blossom sect before. Their core cultivation method didn't involve red qi; instead, it was silver in color."
Due to their distance and Niu Chang's limited mastery of his skills, the effect wasn't very effective for the two disciples. They only felt a slight turmoil in their hearts, not enough to grab their attention. However, Wan You, being aware of this, couldn't help but speculate that the technique Niu Chang used was some form of beguiling technique.
"Could he be from the Hundred Flower Pavilion?" Wei Hong asked softly, hiding her face from Niu Chang.
"What are you talking about? Didn't I tell you not to speak nonsense? And how do you know about the Hundred Flower Pavilion?" Wan You turned his face and glared at his junior sister.
"Well... I heard it from a disciple of the sect," Wei Hong evaded Wan You's gaze and tried not to put the blame on her friend, knowing her senior brother would take care of this small mishap.
Shen Sanhua's stiff movements became slower, and the ghostly qi surrounding her body greatly decreased, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke.
Niu Chang remained cautious of Shen Sanhua's potentially powerful final blow and kept his distance. He closed in on her while goading her to waste her energy to the limit.
Suddenly, Shen Sanhua turned her head towards a certain direction and ran without hesitation.
Not wanting to give his enemy a chance to transform into her second form, Niu Chang chased after Shen Sanhua.
After numerous attempts, Niu Chang was finally able to superficially integrate the use of qi into his Rapid Leaf Step, but it was enough.
Shen Sanhua, low on ghostly qi, couldn't escape from Niu Chang. Her heightened instincts only triggered when faced with an attack.
Niu Chang passed her and blocked her path, charging forward to prevent her from reaching her goal.
If Niu Chang could kill Shen Sanhua directly, he would have done so long ago. Even with his Impact skill, he still needed to land a clear hit on his enemy.
Shen Sanhua's martial instincts kicked in, and she used her remaining qi to deliver a fatal and powerful blow towards Niu Chang.
Though pushed backward, Niu Chang charged forward once more.
Again and again, he denied Shen Sanhua any chance to advance towards her goal.
Not far from Niu Chang, a hidden cave nestled among dense trees. Inside the shadowy cave, there were movements as if gigantic lines were flowing.
Near the entrance of the cave, Jie Tiangong watched attentively. "Will the battle outside attract the attention of the snake?"
"Although my plan didn't go as intended, since it successfully attracted the snake's attention, it doesn't matter. As long as I get my hands on that thing, I can break through to the grandmaster level and possibly achieve the next step to immortality!" Jie Tiangong observed the movements inside the cave, his contentment evident.
A faint, indistinct fragrance emanated from within the cave but quickly dissipated in the wind.
The shadows inside the cave shifted, and two bright lights suddenly illuminated.
Puff.
Niu Chang blocked Shen Sanhua's punch. However, he was no longer being pushed backward, as her punch no longer contained qi to increase its power.
Realizing the opportune moment, Niu Chang's eyes gleamed as he controlled his qi throughout his body to deliver a devastating blow.
The left hand that blocked the punch flipped and caught Shen Sanhua's hand. Without hesitation, Niu Chang thrust his right punch towards her chest.
If he were taller, he would have aimed for her head, shattering it to pieces. But for now, he settled for the chest, intending to destroy her heart and obliterate her chest completely.
The punch was only a few centimeters away from its target when the ground trembled, causing Niu Chang to lose his footing.
Unyielding, he chose to continue, pulling Shen Sanhua's left hand to draw her closer and unleashing a powerful right fist.
A massive shadow flashed among the trees, catching Niu Chang's peripheral vision—a vague, long black snake heading in his direction.
"So what? I want to see you save this girl from me!" Niu Chang's right fist struck Shen Sanhua's chest, the accumulated momentum and the Impact skill combining to create a powerful explosion.
Niu Chang's vision blurred amidst the raging qi, and he still felt the cold touch of Shen Sanhua's hand.
However, receiving no notification from the system, he disregarded the obstructing qi, relying on his sense of direction from the system. Aware that the distance was too great for her hand to remain intact, he threw it away.
"There!" Niu Chang sensed his target's location and unleashed another powerful right punch.
Bam!
Still no notification from the system. Niu Chang used his left hand to launch another attack, retracting his right hand.
The demonic snake drew closer. The trembling ground intensified, announcing its presence.
"DIE!" Niu Chang unleashed a barrage of fierce attacks with both hands, relentlessly striking Shen Sanhua. The explosive qi did not hinder his assault; he kept hitting his target.
[Acquired karma point 3421]
Seeing the system window in front of him, Niu Chang immediately distanced himself from Shen Sanhua and ran away.
His heart raced relentlessly, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and his vision restricted.
Tension and nerve-wracking anxiety filled the air.
'Thankfully, I was able to destroy the cliche I hate the most!' Niu Chang felt a sense of pride in eliminating the development he despised the most. He ran with all his might.
Having witnessed the enemy escaping in the midst of battle and subsequently returning with powerful allies or gaining increased strength, Niu Chang had encountered this scenario numerous times in the stories he had read. Naturally, he was determined not to repeat the same mistake.
Although he sensed the strange feeling of deviating from his mission target, Jie Tiangong, he didn't care. He needed a moment to rest and calm his mind.
After putting some distance between himself and Shen Sanhua, Niu Chang protected his body with qi and scanned his surroundings, searching for the massive snake.
However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he received a notification from the system, causing a momentary distraction.