Han Bingxue Went Crazy . . .
In the current moment, Han Bingxue found himself overwhelmed by emotion to the extent that he doubted his ability to deceive even a three-year-old child. His current disposition left no room for subterfuge or pretense, indicating that he harbored no ulterior motives.
For he knew that Xuan Bing, after making those remarks, would not let him off easily.
As he contemplated the vast expanse of the snow-covered mountain, Han Bingxue appeared despondent, his gaze cast downward. When asked about the view, he responded weakly, "Probably good. I didn't really pay attention."
"Was it cold?" Xuan Bing inquired.
"Could I feel the cold?" Han Bingxue retorted, his tone tinged with defiance. "I may be weaker than you, but I'm still a superior cultivator in my own right."
Xuan Bing, however, continued her line of questioning. "You must have exacted retribution upon the disciples of the three factions after descending from the snow mountain, haven't you? Why?"
Han Bingxue let out a dismissive humph. "You were trying to avenge Xiao Monarch, weren't you?" Xuan Bing's eyes betrayed a hidden agenda.
Without hesitation, Han Bingxue confirmed, "Sure, everybody knows I was."
"Does it mean you are the Shadowless Assassin who has been recently targeting the disciples of the three factions?" Xuan Bing inquired.
"What?" Han Bingxue was taken aback, suddenly comprehending Xuan Bing's intentions.
Exposed, he chose not to deny it any longer. After all, having spent several days in the company of Xuan Bing, he had come to believe that she was not an adversary. Proudly, he admitted, "I am Shadowless Assassin, so what? Humph. In this world, only I can exact vengeance on his behalf. I have killed a multitude of individuals to avenge Brother Cha. So what?"
Xuan Bing praised his commitment, "Not bad. You are a devoted brother to Eun-Xiao."
Han Bingxue responded with frustration, "Back in the day, Brother Cha was hunted and slaughtered by the three factions. No one in the entire Qing-Yun Realm extended a helping hand to him. I will never let the three factions off the hook!"
Xuan Bing concurred, "It's true. Xiao Monarch's death was a tragedy. He was a heroic figure, yet he met such a dismal end. How lamentable."
Han Bingxue took a deep breath and continued, "My Brother Cha was more than just a hero. He spent his life upholding justice, fighting for what he believed in, for love and hatred. He was a great hero!"
Xuan Bing did not refute his words, merely echoing his sentiments. "That's true! Xiao Monarch was unwaveringly righteous and never engaged in any underhanded deeds. What a remarkable individual. His passing is a great loss."
"Who says he is dead! Nonsense... Urh!" Han Bingxue suddenly fell silent, his eyes widening as he stared at Xuan Bing, his gaze fixed on her like two brass bells.
Xuan Bing, however, remained seated, utterly still. Her eyes, peering through the black silk covering her face, conveyed a trace of joy as they remained fixed on Han Bingxue.
A surge of icy determination coursed through Han Bingxue, and his hand gravitated toward the hilt of his sword. With a cold edge in his voice, he addressed Xuan Bing, "Elder Xuan, I never knew you possessed such prowess in both cultivation and the art of baiting."
Xuan Bing, maintaining her composure, replied, "Hmm. Just so-so. What now? Do you admit it?"
Han Bingxue retorted icily, "Admit? Admit what? I simply wanted to express that Xiao Monarch was not just a hero but also a world dominator! Do you believe it, Great Elder?"
Xuan Bing responded with a smile, opting to maintain a composed silence.
However, as Xuan Bing remained silent, Han Bingxue's confidence waned. His frustration grew, and he questioned, "Why don't you say something? Don't you want to make me say something?"
Xuan Bing, instead of responding, merely shook her head and maintained her silence.
An unsettling feeling of error gnawed at Han Bingxue. His anger surged, and he erupted in a thunderous shout, "Xuan Bing! I am going to kill you!"
With a resounding clang, his longsword was unsheathed, and the heavens seemed to respond to his fury as the clouds roiled in the strong wind. His intent to kill spiraled upward into the sky, reaching its apex.
Han Bingxue's murderous aura reached an unprecedented zenith. It no longer mattered whether Xuan Bing was the esteemed great elder of the Misty Cloud Palace, the second most formidable cultivator in the realm, or whether he had the capacity to defeat her. His singular focus was on taking her life. He was prepared to sacrifice himself if necessary to protect the secret held for Cha Eun-Xiao.
In a flash, the cold radiance of his sword illuminated the sky like moonlight, and he launched a ferocious strike aimed directly at Xuan Bing.
It was an unrelenting, one-sided assault intended for an instant kill.
Although he was a cultivator of the ninth level in the Dao Origin Stage, he still stood one step away from the realm's pinnacle. This one step made all the difference. However, when it came to the sheer intensity of his aura as he carried out this life-defying attack, there was no one in the realm who could surpass him or dare to confront him.
"You must die!" Han Bingxue roared as he melded with his sword, transforming the cold moonlight into a resplendent, elongated dragon that streaked toward Xuan Bing.
To her surprise, Xuan Bing never expected such a drastic reaction from Han Bingxue. Despite their extended journey together, he had chosen to disregard her intention to unveil the secret he had guarded. Most critically, she realized that Han Bingxue was losing his grip on sanity.
He wasn't teetering on the brink of madness; he was undeniably plummeting into it.
"You want to kill me? Are you capable enough?" Xuan Bing sneered, and in an instant, she soared skyward like a dark whirlwind. Her form disintegrated into a shroud of dark mist, which evaded the dense barrage of sword lights that Han Bingxue had unleashed. Not a single one of his fierce strikes made contact with her body.
Though Han Bingxue's sudden assault could subdue most superior cultivators in the realm, Xuan Bing was the exception.
No matter how relentless his attack, no matter how willing he was to sacrifice his life, he could not harm her.
Realizing the futility of his forced attack, Han Bingxue clenched his teeth and, with an abrupt surge of his spiritual power, declared, "All In Destruction!"
Xuan Bing, filled with trepidation, hastily interjected, "Wait!"
"All In Destruction" was a unique technique mastered by Han Bingxue. Upon its activation, he became ten times more powerful, but at a steep price. It entailed the fusion of his soul, life energy, physical body, and spiritual consciousness into a singular, unified energy source for a final, devastating attack.
In essence, it was a technique that inflicted harm upon himself prior to injuring his adversary. Regardless of whether it succeeded in eliminating the enemy, it was certain to take a toll on him.
In the Qing-Yun Realm, there were individuals who surpassed Han Bingxue in power. Nevertheless, there were few who could withstand the tenfold augmentation brought about by "All In Destruction."
Unfortunately for Xuan Bing, she happened to be one of the "few." Even though Han Bingxue had initiated "All In Destruction," she was confident in her ability to safely evade the impending attack due to the profound power disparity between them. In fact, she could easily retaliate and end Han Bingxue's life directly.
The predicament lay in the fact that, despite Han Bingxue's hostility toward her, Xuan Bing had no intention of causing him harm. What proved more vexing was that once Han Bingxue unleashed his final strike, no matter the outcome, he was destined to meet his end.