Although Yan Hui asked that question, everyone knew who she was referring to. Aside from Ling Fei, no one else was trying to stop her.
Ling Fei saw Yan Hui's face was dark with anger. It recalled that time in Xin Xiu Peak's prison when she suffered a loss by Yan Hui. With this new hatred and old grudge together, Ling Fei's anger also flared. She chillingly laughed: "You really meant it when you said you were going to cut off your former classmate's tongue. Yan Hui, where is your humanity. Could it be you've already become a heretic cultivator?"
"Malicious slander," spat Yan Hui. "The way I see it, keeping your tongue is also useless." She flung the bloodstained dagger at Ling Fei's face.
The dagger was fast like lightening, but Ling Fei was already prepared. She wave her hand. Her long sleeves deflected the dagger and sent it flying off-course.
Ling Fei looked at Yan Hui with slightly narrowed eyes: "Last time you took advantage when I wasn't ready and did a sneak attack. Did you really think this time I'll lose to you?"
She grasped the air, and a horsetail whisk appeared in her hand. She brandished the whisk, aura overflowing: "I want to see what other heretical sorcery you've learned since leaving."
Ling Fei disappeared at the end of her words. Alarm bells immediately started ringing in Yan Hui's mind, and she at once backed up a step to protect Tian Yao. However, Tian Yao also suddenly backed up too. He hurriedly called out: "Careful." He followed up with pushing Yan Hui.
Yan Hui staggered forward a step and barely managed to dodge the horsetail whisk sweeping in from behind.
Ling Fei reappeared one half step behind Yan Hui. But instead of continuing to attach Yan Hui, Ling Fei swept a severe gaze toward Tian Yao:
"Unexpectedly discerning!"
Following her words, the horsetail whist swept toward Tian Yao's face. A cold blast accompanied it.
Ling Fei is Su Ying's little sister. Although she was sent at a young age to Chen Xing Mountain by Su Ying, Ling Fei still learned Guang Han sect's Heart Techniques. Thus with that move, the entire room filled with an icy cold that penetrated to the bones and heart.
Tian Yao's magic hadn't fully recovered yet. However he spent the last few days regulating his inner breath and gained some cultivation. It was enough to increase his speed much more than the average cultivator.
When Ling Fei unleashed her magic, it was clearly within Tian Yao's capability to dodge it, but he froze.
Those memories that Tian Yao strived hardest to forget had already become wounds branded into his very soul. The chilled air Ling Fei's whisk brought with it was like a blade stabbing straight into those wounds.
An enormous moon. Snow flurries filling the air. These out-of-place sights untimely filled Tian Yao's vision. His pupils contracted. For a moment, he couldn't move his feet. He watched the whisk slash, sending the frigid air magic aimed straight at his head!
In that moment between life and death, Tian Yao saw that figure in front of him move. A hand shot out and fiercely grabbed the sweeping whisk.
The frozen air was completed blocked by a gust of roiling fire. It was like a safe barrier was protecting Tian Yao.
It was Yan Hui who had tightly grabbed the horsetail whisk.
Fire and frost were clashing within her fist. Their intertwining caused strange light fluctuations, which reflected in Yan Hui's eyes. The light reflections playing across her face gave her a sinister look: "I said I would protect you."
Yan Hui said those six words so resolutely. They sat in everyone's ears.
Again, it was Yan Hui. Again, it was her back. Last time she helped by blocking out the moon in the sky. This time she helped block the bone-chilling cold.
Even though they weren't touching, even though their hands weren't intertwined, Tian Yao could still miraculously feel the warmth from the girl in front of him. That strange heat reached his heart.
It bubbled up from the depths of his heart and overflowed. The heat spread out into his limbs and into every bone.
And Tian Yao knew that Yan Hui probably had no idea of how big of an effect her actions had on him.
She was always like that, solely focused on doing what she should do and what she wanted to do. She rarely cared about others thought about her. That's why she seemed heartless. But it is because of this that when she automatically acted, it touched one's heart even more.
Yan Hui focused on Ling Fei. Yan Hui could feel the whisk tugging backwards to return, but she wan't going to so easily let Ling Fei have it back. Was she supposed to wait and see what happened when Ling Fei got the whisk back? Yan Hui wasn't stupid!
Thus Yan Hui held tight and didn't let it go.
After the contest of simple strength, Ling Fei and Yan Hui started to use magic. The power struggle became more and more intense.
The collision of Ling Fei's intense cold and Yan Hui's raging flames produced a strong wind. The tables and chairs surrounding the two were overturned. Even the inn's roof beams overhead started to creak.
Upon seeing this, the ten disciples from Chen Xing Mountain rushed forward to help. Zi Chen hurriedly urged them to stop: "There are many commoners here. If you all make a move, they may be accidentally harmed!" He turned and shouted at Ling Fei again: "Master, returning to our original business is most important!"
Ling Fei ignored Zi Chen. She gritted her teeth and fiercely said to Yan Hui: "Do you really think I will lose to you?"
Yan Hui's eyes sharpened. She saw Ling Fei use her other hand to unsheathe a flexible jian from her waist. With a swish, the blade aimed right at Yan Hui's heart. Yan Hui was startled. Before she could back away, Tian Yao had already wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her away.
Although there was an attempt to avoid the blade, Ling Fei's unanticipated jian changed direction. In the end, it still ripped across Yan Hui's cheek.
The wound wasn't shallow. It stretched from her lower jaw up to her cheekbone. Blood immediately started to flow from the deep cut. Some drops fell on Yan Hui's clothes, some dripped on the floor, and some landed on Tian Yao's arm that was still wrapped on Yan Hui's waist.
The dripping blood soaked into Tian Yao's sleeve. The blood had clearly already cooled down, but it still felt like it was hot. It burned all the way to Tian Yao's heart.
It wasn't just warm. It was boiling hot.
When Tian Yao dipped his head down, he could see the wound on Yan Hui's cheek. She was still focused on Ling Fei; she hadn't even reached up to touch her wound. To a female, their face is the most important. But Yan Hui had always seemed inherent different from other females! She actually didn't feel sorry for herself at all!
What was even funnier was that while she didn't feel bad, he.....
Felt some pain.
Furthermore, anger.
Tian Yao locked Ling Fei in his chilled gaze.
When Yan Hui stumbled back, she had released the horsetail whisk. Ling Fei waved the whisk and re-concealed it in the air. Now she only held that flexible jian that had scored Yan Hui's face. Blood dripped from the blade's edge.
Ling Fei looked at Yan Hui with a sneer.
She was contemptuous of Yan Hui.
Yan Hui noticed Ling Fei's expression. It wasn't that her wound didn't hurt. Ling Fei's flexible jian seemed to be inbibed with cold poison. Due to her wound, half of Yan Hui's face lost feeling. Now looking at Ling Fei's taunting smile, Yan Hui felt like it wasn't just an issue of being wounded. The pain was like the skin on her entire face had been ripped off.
Damn, she could endure the pain from a wound, but she couldn't endure the pain from mockery.
Yan Hui gritted her teeth and pushed away Tian Yao's hand. She rushed forward, and Ling Fei made a move. It hadn't occurred to Yan Hui that Ling Fei's jian really had been cast with some kind of magic. So long as Yan Hui came close to Ling Fei and had also been stabbed by the jian, it made the wound on her face feel like it was cursed. It hurt so much that Yan Hui could barely keep her eyes open.
Ling Fei showed no mercy. She took advantage of Yan Hui'd blurred sight and didn't hold back an ounce of power. She struck an open palm onto Yan Hui's stomach, sending Yan Hui flying. Yan Hui hit a pillar and coughed out blood.
Tian Yao tightly furrowed his eyebrows. He wanted to step forward to help Yan Hui up, but it seemed like her fighting spirit had been awakened. She didn't even spare Tian Yao a glance before quickly getting back up. With fire swirling around her palm, Yan Hui leapt forward to re-engage with Ling Fei.
As expected, Yan Hui was once again beaten back. This time she was directly thrown into Tian Yao's arms. For a long time, she couldn't open her eyes.
"Ha," laughed Ling Fei icily. She was back to her arrogant self. She held the jian in her hand, and her clothes were still spotless. It was a sharp contract with Yan Hui who looked like she had rolled in a dirty and bloody pond. It was a filthy and sorry sight.
Yan Hui swayed her head, blinking her eyes. She still persisted and pushed away Tian Yao's hand. She knelt on one knee and stayed there for a while. Then, she resolutely stood back up. Although Yan Hui's eyes were muddled by blood, she still sought out where Ling Fei stood. Yan Hui saw her mocking face, heard her mocking laugh.
Yan Hui couldn't hold it in: "Damn!"
Zi Chen, who was standing off to the side, had long been urgently imploring Yan Hui. However, she long already couldn't hear him clearly. Her ears were filled with a buzzing him. She only felt herself being tugged backwards. When she turned to look, she saw it was Tian Yao with an especially bleak look. It was frighteningly glacial: "You're still going to rush forward?"
Yan Hui didn't understand. Probably...Tian Yao wasn't hurt, right.....
Why did he look so angry...
"You don't know how to dodge?"
Yan Hui was at a loss: "Dodge to where?"
Tian Yao paused for only a short moment: "Behind me."
Yan Hui took it as a joke. If she had dodged behind Tian Yao along their journey, they would've died many times over by now.
On the other side of the room, Zi Chen saw Ling Fei was about to attack again. He couldn't deal with it anymore. He directly stepped forward and blocked Ling Fei: "Master..."
He hadn't finished when suddenly the surrounding aura greatly changed beyond what he even expected. Zi Chen cultivated wood-related magic. Usually, he was strongest at controlling wind. Thus, he was faster than Ling Fei at sensing the aura change.
Zi Chen looked around. He saw the tables and chairs were trembling. All the chopsticks and everything else on the tables were eerily floating in mid-air.
Upon seeing this, Ling Fei narrowed her eyes: "Demon magic."
When those two words were said, the air suddenly became turbulent. The dishes and chopsticks, chairs and tables in a split second were sliced up by air blades!
At the same time, some of the ten Chen Xing Mountain disciples cried out in alarm. Some had clothes torn. Some had the crown of their hats chopped off and fall to the floor. Others had their waistband sliced in half.
All were stunned. Zi Chen heard a "clang". His intuition sensed something was off, and he immediately turned to look.
Ling Fei thought Zi Chen's sudden action was strange: "What is it?" She had just knitted her eyebrows when she felt a sharp pain in between her brows. A drop of blood appeared there.
Zi Chen's gaze gradually grew terrified.
Ling Fei saw her face reflected in Zi Chen's widening eyes.....
More blood drops oozed out where the first one appeared. Not long afterwards, blood started to drip from her face onto the floor. She stretched out a shaking hand to touch her face. When her fingertips touched that area, she felt a sharp pain: "Ah...." Ling Fei wailed out. "Ah!"
"Master!" cried out Zi Chen.
"Demon Magic!" Ling Fei held her face and bent over to hide her face. "That person's demon magic!" Her voice was piercing, just about splitting everyone's eardrums.
The Chen Xing Mountain disciples looked at Tian Yao with terrified expressions. They were astonished that he could transform the air into sharp blades. They could kill without being seen....This type of magic really isn't within the capabilities of the average evil demon.
Even the dazed Yan Hui knew there was something strange about the situation. She looked at Tian Yao in surprised: "You..."
Tian Yao had the same expression as usual: "What about me?" He had only gained back the tiniest bit of magic after meditating and regulating his inner breath these past few days. Otherwise, he wasn't a demon that would attack so "gently".
Yan Hui still looked at him, not saying a word.
This probably was....the first time she seen Tian Yao attack another. It was such a clear-cut technique with no hand seals. He didn't even chant an incantation. She knew that Tian Yao likely hadn't even regained ten-thousandth of his original power. But it was enough for this small bit of magic to astonish the powerful disciples. If Tian Yao recovers.....
A Millennium Dragon Demon sure enough wasn't someone to just brush off.
It was all because earlier on Tian Yao seemed so weak and slow. His earlier behavior was such that Yan Hui had nearly forgotten who he truly was.
There wasn't much time for Yan Hui to be shocked. Those Chen Xing Mountain disciples seemed to realized that they were facing an extraordinary demon. Thus, they all unsheathed their swords. Even Zi Chen dazedly looked at Yan Hui. Their faces were filled with disbelief, as if asking Yan Hui:
"Junior disciple, why are you with this kind of demon...."
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Wow wow wow Tian Yao so protective!!!!