This scornful greeting made Ling Chen falter slightly, the smile slowly fading from his face. Even though this woman had saved him, he couldn’t let her belittle him to his face.
"Although I am unaware of Your Excellency’s identity, I wonder, could Your Excellency match a Great Master Level Powerhouse at the age of sixteen?" Ling Chen countered, his voice firm.
"Hehe, you certainly know how to argue," the woman in black scoffed, clearly disregarding Ling Chen’s words. She scrutinized him, her expression growing somewhat solemn. "You’re seriously injured. Come with me, or you’ll end up as Exotic Beast fodder."
"Your Excellency has yet to reveal your name. I need to know whom to repay for saving my life." Ling Chen stared at the woman in black, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce her veil.
She had effortlessly killed Prince Tai, a Grand Master. Such strength indicated she was undoubtedly a prominent figure in the Martial World, likely from a renowned martial arts family. Additionally, judging by her voice, the woman in black was quite young, probably in her twenties.
A look of astonishment drifted into Ling Chen’s eyes. Could this person be one of the Four Outstanding Talents? Only the four young Grand Masters, hailed as the strongest in the Five Kingdoms’ Martial World, fit this woman in black’s characteristics.
"You don’t need to know that. Your current strength is too weak. Knowing too much might not necessarily be a good thing for you," the woman in black said indifferently.
Since she wouldn’t say, Ling Chen didn’t press further. However, he was certain she bore him no ill will. Perhaps she had old ties with his family, he mused.
But this is too much of a coincidence, isn’t it? He had just encountered danger, and she appeared to save him. This definitely isn’t a coincidence. Could it be that this woman in black has been secretly protecting him all this time?
Ling Chen grew increasingly intrigued by the woman in black’s identity.
Following the woman in black, Ling Chen arrived at a cave.
Ling Chen had taken a heavy blow from Prince Tai; he was lucky not to have been shattered to pieces.
Nevertheless, having been struck by Prince Tai’s sword, Ling Chen felt as if his right arm was about to split apart, and his internal organs were in turmoil.
"Take this Solidifying Pill," the woman in black said, flipping open her fair hand to reveal a pill the size of a pigeon’s egg, which she had Ling Chen swallow.
The elixir dissolved the moment it entered his mouth. Ling Chen immediately felt an extremely pure Medicinal Power enter his lower abdomen, then rapidly spread throughout his limbs and bones, nourishing his damaged meridians and sinews, and replenishing his Essence Blood.
Ling Chen’s eyes lit up. This Heart Protecting Pill must be incredibly valuable, at least a second-grade, high-level elixir! Otherwise, my injuries wouldn’t be recovering so rapidly. Moreover, it would have previously taken more than half a month for such injuries to heal.
"Your survival this time was mostly due to sheer luck," the woman in black said, her tone somewhat grave. "You clearly had a chance to escape, but you insisted on going after the Earth Heart Fire Lotus. Not only did you waste time, but you also put yourself in grave danger. If you had carefully fled, perhaps you wouldn’t have encountered that Grand Master."
"Fortune is found in danger," Ling Chen replied with a grin. "If I hadn’t taken the gamble, how would I know if I could seize the prize? Didn’t it all turn out well in the end?"
"You ungrateful brat!" the woman in black shook her head. "Let me tell you, next time you won’t be so fortunate. I can save you once, but not for a lifetime." Ling Chen had been truly lucky this time, as she just happened to be nearby. She couldn’t always be watching over him. If she had been dozens of miles away when Ling Chen encountered Prince Tai, then not even Immortals could have saved him.
"With my rate of improvement, I’ll reach the Grand Master Realm in just a few years," Ling Chen retorted. "Do you think I’ll still need anyone’s help then?"
Outwardly, Ling Chen remained unapologetic, but inwardly, he began to ponder. Indeed, I was too reckless this time. In the future, I must think thrice before acting like that again.
A trace of mockery flickered in the woman in black’s beautiful eyes. What an arrogant brat. You need to be taught a lesson. She suddenly extended her right hand and struck Ling Chen’s chest with her palm, sending him staggering back a dozen steps.
"What are you doing?" Ling Chen was annoyed. This woman is behaving like a child, how immature!
"Don’t you consider yourself an unparalleled genius?" The woman in black crossed her arms, looking straight at Ling Chen. "If that’s the case, let’s exchange a few moves. I’ll suppress my Cultivation to your realm and fight you bare-handed, while you can use your weapon. How about that, fair enough?"
"No problem." Ling Chen nodded. With her Cultivation suppressed to his realm, he was invincible against others at the same realm. He didn’t believe this woman in black could defeat him under such conditions.
"Let me be clear: ten moves. If you can withstand ten moves from me, you win," the woman in black stated.
"Let’s begin." Ling Chen had already drawn his Heavenly Emperor Heavy Sword. Ten moves? This woman in black is underestimating me far too much!
Without hesitation, Ling Chen lunged, executing the opening move of the Thirteen God’s Gate Swords. He intended to probe the woman in black’s techniques.
However, she didn’t even draw her sword. It was as if she had completely seen through Ling Chen’s sword technique. With a finger extended mid-air, she flicked the blade of Ling Chen’s Heavy Sword, nearly jarring the Heavenly Emperor Heavy Sword from his grasp.
Ling Chen himself was forced back several steps by this hidden force.
This single finger strike, he thought, it truly has the essence of deflecting a thousand pounds with just four ounces of force!
This woman is truly formidable, Ling Chen thought with inward alarm. She was vastly different from his previous opponents, who often focused excessively on raising their Cultivation. Consequently, while their Cultivation levels rose, their techniques remained crude—a result of neglecting practical skill. This woman in black, however, displayed exquisite control over her techniques, something Ling Chen had never witnessed before.
A sharp light flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes. It seems there’s no need for further probing. Time to use my ultimate move! He abruptly changed his Sword Momentum and unleashed a strike. It was incredibly fast, stabbing towards the woman in black in the blink of an eye.
Dragon Seeking Sword Technique, Second Style, White Dragon Passing the Gap.
"Hmm?" Seeing Ling Chen execute this move, a trace of surprise flickered in the woman’s eyes. The ingenuity of this swordsmanship was enough to make even her inwardly exclaim in admiration.
The Sword Light streaked like a meteor. The woman in black finally drew her sword. Her blade seemed to move with the wind. Though a fraction slower than Ling Chen’s White Dragon Passing the Gap, its timing was perfect, precisely neutralizing Ling Chen’s astonishingly swift strike.
What?!ŸŸŸ Ling Chen was astonished. The level of the woman’s swordsmanship was clearly inferior to his Dragon Seeking Sword Technique, yet her timing and positioning were impeccable. This was the difference—not a gap in swordsmanship or talent, but in combat experience.