Victory and Vulnerability

“Xia Yi!? Weren’t you supposed to have just emerged from the secret realm? How could you possibly have found this place so quickly?!”

Having finally managed to stabilize the injury to his severed arm, Guang Pengyi was at last able to clearly see the person who had unleashed that streak of sword light.

“…”

Xia Yi remained silent.

He merely channeled the spiritual energy of his Thirteenth Qi Condensation Layer with all his might, his gaze fixed on Guang Pengyi’s corpulent form as if staring at a corpse.

“Hmph! A mere junior, nothing more than a sneak attack while I was off guard. Do you truly delude yourself into thinking you can defeat me with a cultivation level that has just entered Foundation Establishment? Today, I shall show you that even among Foundation Establishment cultivators, there are vast differences!”

Upon sensing Xia Yi’s spiritual energy circulating and his aura locking onto him, Guang Pengyi erupted in fury.

How dare such a junior challenge his authority?

He was convinced that Xia Yi’s terrifying sword light earlier had been his full power, and it was only due to his own momentary oversight that the junior had succeeded.

Immediately, the auras of both Guang Pengyi and Xia Yi began to surge.

Guang Pengyi was the first to strike, launching a glittering golden ingot that hurtled towards Xia Yi like a semi-trailer.

With an impassive expression, Xia Yi pushed off the ground, cleaving the golden ingot with a single sword stroke before aiming directly for Guang Pengyi’s head.

“Audacious!”

Witnessing Xia Yi effortlessly slice through his attack, Guang Pengyi was simultaneously shocked and enraged.

He was astonished by Xia Yi’s power; to break his attack with such ease was something even a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn’t achieve.

His fury stemmed from Xia Yi’s audacious intent to kill him with a single strike, clearly showing utter disregard for him.

Soon, Xia Yi, cultivated to the Thirteenth Qi Condensation Layer, clashed with Guang Pengyi, who was at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and half a step into the Core Formation realm.

They exchanged blows, golden ingots and sword lights scattering everywhere, surprisingly fighting to a standstill in the short term.

The longer the fight dragged on, the more alarmed Guang Pengyi became.

Even though his battle with Pei Yunxiang had depleted most of his spiritual energy, he was still not someone a newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciple could challenge.

Yet, Xia Yi… he simply did not resemble someone who had just entered Foundation Establishment.

What cultivator, fresh into Foundation Establishment, could possibly contend equally with someone half a step into the Core Formation realm?

Furthermore, Guang Pengyi noticed that Xia Yi’s spiritual energy, while incredibly pure, was also exceptionally solid, its quality remarkably on par with his own, a half-step Core Formation elder.

However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss with Xia Yi’s aura, as if he hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment yet.

Guang Pengyi himself was startled by his own thought: ‘He’s fighting me, a half-step Core Formation cultivator, to a standstill, and you’re telling me he hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment?!’

“Damn it!”

Having narrowly evaded another of Xia Yi’s sword moves, Guang Pengyi cursed under his breath, compelled to create distance.

Guang Pengyi’s close-combat prowess was originally quite formidable, but alas, he had encountered an unreasonable monster.

Xia Yi’s sword techniques, though seemingly easy to decipher, left him with no choice but to dodge.

Any defense, it seemed, was as fragile as tofu before that white-flamed sword, shattering upon impact.

This forced him to disrupt his offensive rhythm repeatedly, forcibly evading Xia Yi’s blade.

The white flames were utterly preposterous; even his third-grade treasure robe couldn’t withstand them for a single breath, as Guang Pengyi felt the ridiculously high temperature emanating from them.

“Myriad Treasure Heavenly Seal!”

Since close combat was proving futile, a spell duel would be his best recourse.

He refused to believe a newly established Foundation cultivator could wield many formidable techniques.

In an instant, the sky filled with luminous pearls and copper coins, all hurtling towards Xia Yi with immense force.

Guang Pengyi was confident that the might of this technique was such that even true Core Formation cultivators would have to temporarily retreat before its edge.

Moreover, Pei Yunxiang and Fei Miaoyun were behind Xia Yi; to protect them, Xia Yi would have to endure his ultimate killing move.

It was clear that Xia Yi was caught in an impossible dilemma.

“Hahaha, this is the gap in experience! Boy, what if your talent defies the heavens? You bring along two burdens and still wish to challenge someone beyond your realm? Pipe dream! Die!!”

With his plan seemingly succeeding, Guang Pengyi’s face contorted with twisted excitement.

The disadvantage he suffered in close combat, coupled with having his arm severed by the newly Foundation Established Xia Yi, had caused this dignified half-step Core Formation cultivator to lose all face.

Therefore, Xia Yi had to die to quell the hatred in his heart!

“Hoo…”

Confronted by Guang Pengyi’s killing move, Xia Yi took a deep breath, standing resolutely before Pei Yunxiang and Fei Miaoyun, without any intention of evading.

“Yi’er…”

Pei Yunxiang gazed at the upright back shielding her, her beautiful eyes filled with unwavering conviction.

She believed in this man, who had been capable of creating miracles since childhood.

In this moment of crisis, Xia Yi remained remarkably calm.

He pushed his two ultimate killing moves to their absolute limit, unleashing both boundless sword intent and Extreme Yang True Flame!

When these two formidable powers converged, the terrifying aura that erupted was comparable even to that of a true Core Formation realm cultivator!

“No! This is impossible! How could a mere junior possess the power of the Core Formation realm? I refuse to believe it!!”

After the boundless sword intent and Extreme Yang True Flame merged, they transformed into a colossal white flaming sword, targeting and locking onto Guang Pengyi.

Xia Yi’s eyes were icy cold as he endured the depletion of spiritual energy within his body and the piercing emptiness of his sea of consciousness.

With a release from his left hand, the white flaming greatsword smashed through all the gem-studded coins, hurtling fiercely towards Guang Pengyi.

Knowing he was locked on and couldn’t escape, Guang Pengyi could only brace himself to face the white flaming greatsword, an attack comparable to a Core Formation realm strike.

“Xia Yi!! Urgh… Aaaah!!!”

Accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream, Guang Pengyi was struck by the white flaming greatsword.

Amidst the vast and boundless sword intent and the Extreme Yang True Flame, he was gradually crushed and incinerated until nothing remained.

Once the screams faded, the white flames and the immense sword intent slowly dissipated.

Guang Pengyi had vanished completely, leaving not even a speck of ash, utterly dissolved into the heavens and earth.

Witnessing Guang Pengyi turn completely into dust, Xia Yi could no longer withstand the depletion of his spiritual energy and the desiccation of his sea of consciousness.

He swayed forward, collapsing into unconsciousness.

“Yi’er!”

Pei Yunxiang, who could still barely move, saw this sight.

Disregarding Fei Miaoyun, still unconscious in her arms, she tossed her aside and rushed to Xia Yi’s side to examine him.

“Hoo… Thankfully. He’s merely exhausted his spiritual energy…”

Pei Yunxiang retrieved a Qi Restoration Pill and fed it to Xia Yi.

Still maintaining her dragon transformation, she gently brushed the dust from Xia Yi’s handsome face.

Her expression was tender.

“Yi’er, thank you…”

With these words, Pei Yunxiang’s slightly pale lips, still stained with un-dried blood, gently pressed against Xia Yi’s cheek.

‘Indeed, I still wanted to give him my first kiss when he was conscious.’

‘Once you awaken, we shall become true Dao Companions… if you do not despise me…’

Through this battle, Pei Yunxiang understood that her non-human identity had been exposed.

Regardless of how Xia Yi might view her, Pei Yunxiang resolved to hide nothing more from him.

Even if Xia Yi were to despise her after learning the truth, or covet her body (in a literal, physical sense) like Guang Pengyi, she would accept it all.

After thoroughly clearing the scene and ensuring not a trace of her dragon aura remained, Pei Yunxiang carried Xia Yi on her back and approached the still unconscious Fei Miaoyun.

With a complex gaze, Pei Yunxiang sighed helplessly, then grabbed one of Fei Miaoyun’s feet, and simply dragged her away from the scene.