Nanli’s gaze was cold and sharp as she locked eyes with Liang Jie. "Why should I die, just because I’m currently weak?"
Liang Jie sneered, his hand shaking slightly as he gripped his sword. He unleashed a surge of spiritual energy, and several shallow pits appeared on the ground around them.
Nanli’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Whether you’re the strong one or I am, we still haven’t decided that yet."
"Such arrogance," Liang Jie scoffed. "You’re only in the early stages of Golden Core. You actually dare to challenge me? Do you really think you can casually use Talisman techniques during a battle?" He laughed derisively. "In the world of cultivation, a Sword Cultivator like me is the most lethal. Your tactics of relying on Talismans are no match for my sword!"
Nanli raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond immediately. "Then show me what you’ve got."
"You’re looking for a fight, huh?" Liang Jie smirked and narrowed his eyes. "I’ll teach you a lesson by breaking your arms and legs, shattering your Dantian, and dragging you back. You’ll never be able to escape."
Before Nanli could react, he lunged forward with a swift, determined movement, his body like a gust of fierce wind.
Nanli didn’t dare underestimate him, especially as she sensed his Nascent Soul cultivation. His power was not to be taken lightly. The moment their swords clashed, she felt the immense force behind his spiritual energy, which, though not overwhelmingly strong, far surpassed her own.
The strike didn’t injure her body, but her clothes were torn open at the shoulder.
Liang Jie looked down at her torn clothing with a smug expression, but Nanli’s eyes remained calm and collected. Despite her clothes being torn, her spirit remained undisturbed.
They exchanged several more strikes. Her robes, already in tatters, revealed her pale skin, and the battle was fought amid the dirt and uneven terrain of the wilderness. Liang Jie’s sword struck again, and Nanli, trying to protect her remaining clothing, found herself pushed back by his powerful strike, sending her sliding back over ten meters.
Her clothes were hanging on by a thread now, but Nanli didn’t flinch. Her eyes gleamed with the same cold, calculating light they had from the beginning.
Liang Jie grinned even wider, watching her struggle. "See? Women shouldn’t cultivate or try to compete for our spiritual energy! But I’ll admit, your figure isn’t bad at all."
Nanli’s eyes narrowed dangerously. There was no room for leniency in her world, especially with such a foe in front of her.
"Chu Nanli," Liang Jie sneered, "You’ve been toying with me for too long. I’m done holding back."
Nanli ignored him, pulling the ragged fabric of her clothing back together. She said coldly, "Then I’ll stop playing games with you."
Liang Jie let out a mocking laugh. "What makes you think you’re in any position to talk to me that way? What are you? What’s your cultivation level? You think you can speak like that? Only I get to talk down to you!"
Nanli’s expression remained unaffected. "Why can’t I say it? Today, I’ll teach you how to properly use the Starry Sword Spell of Penglai Island."
With a swift motion, Nanli raised her Dark Moon Sword and performed the necessary hand gestures. The movements were elegant and precise, looking every bit like a master’s technique.
Liang Jie sneered, thinking she was only putting on an act. "The Starry Sword Spell is a technique for elders. You think you can learn it just by mimicking the hand gestures? Even after years of practice, I’m just beginning to understand its intricacies. What makes you think you can master it?"
"Watch carefully," Liang Jie said with a mocking tone. "This is the first move."
His long sword glowed brightly, and he thrust it forward with a shout. "Starry Sword Spell—Meteor Strike!"
The sword erupted with radiant energy, and the blade’s spiritual power surged forward, sending a torrent of meteoric sword energy flying toward Nanli. The sheer power of the attack tore through the air, creating a gust of wind and thunderous sound.
Liang Jie could already imagine her being pierced through by the barrage of meteors. A cruel smile spread across his face.
However, just as the meteor-like energy was about to hit, Nanli’s figure vanished before his eyes.
"Where is she?" Liang Jie’s eyes widened in confusion, and he quickly looked around, scanning the area.
Before he could react, something sharp flew at him from the side. His instincts kicked in, and he hastily raised his spiritual energy to protect his vital points.
But his earlier use of the Meteor Strike had drained a considerable amount of his spiritual energy, and his Dantian was nearly depleted. He tried to block, but the projectile pierced through his spiritual shield, and in an instant, it plunged into his right eye.
Liang Jie screamed in agony, clutching his face as he fell back, his vision now impaired.
His left eye, still intact, focused through his blurred vision. He saw Nanli, now standing right before him, and he quickly raised his sword to defend himself. But his energy was too weak, and Nanli’s strength was overwhelming. With one swift motion, she knocked him backward, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Come back," Nanli murmured, and the Hairpin Elf used its magic to extract the golden hairpin from Liang Jie’s ruined eye socket, floating back to Nanli’s side.
However, Nanli didn’t reach out to take it. She simply motioned for the Hairpin Elf to clean it off by itself.
The Hairpin Elf pouted in disappointment, speaking in a soft, melancholic tone. "You’re so cruel. When you need me, you call me ’little hairpin,’ but when you don’t, you make me clean up after myself."
Nanli furrowed her brow, shooting the elf a disapproving look. "I never called you ’little hairpin.’ Don’t add your own drama. Do what you’re told."
Liang Jie clutched his face, his right eye completely ruined. His body trembled with pain, but he didn’t let it show. He quickly began to regulate his breathing, preparing for the next phase of battle.
His gaze turned murderous as he glared at Nanli. "You’re despicable! You lured me into using my strongest move, making me waste all that energy. Now look at me. You think you’ve won, don’t you?"
Nanli observed his anger with detached amusement. "You could’ve chosen not to flaunt your abilities. But now that you’ve exhausted yourself after just one attack, it’s clear that your cultivation in the Upper Realm isn’t what it should be. A true Nascent Soul cultivator could destroy a city with a single strike. But you? You’re clearly not a real Nascent Soul."
Liang Jie’s face twisted with rage. "I am Nascent Soul! How dare you question my cultivation? You’re just a child with no real understanding of cultivation. What do you know about true strength?"
Nanli smiled, completely unfazed. "The truth is, the world’s spiritual energy has diminished so much that people can’t break through to higher realms. You don’t want to accumulate merits through proper cultivation; you’d rather take shortcuts. Your realm may have ascended, but your spiritual energy and the depth of your Dantian have taken a massive hit. This isn’t entirely your fault though. We’re in the age of the end of law."
Liang Jie’s blood boiled with rage at her words. The insult was too much for him to bear. "You dare speak to me like that?"
Without waiting for a response, he tried to advance once again, his sword raised to strike.
But before he could make a move, Nanli had already raised her sword, her blade shimmering with silver light.
Liang Jie’s face turned pale. "What is this?"
It was the first move of the Starry Sword Spell, just like his own, but there was something terrifying about Nanli’s version. It was far more powerful, even without the buildup of spiritual energy.
Liang Jie was stunned. "How did you learn this? Where did you learn it from?"
But there was no time for answers.
Nanli’s sword flashed through the air, its meteoric blade more fierce and unrelenting than his own. She struck with the true first move, a move that was even more powerful than his Meteor Strike.
Her strike contained the force to split mountains and tear through the skies. There was no room to dodge.
This was the real first move of the Starry Sword Spell. The sword energy scattered like countless meteors, each one striking with lethal precision.
Liang Jie had no chance to escape.