“If there really are divine herbs and artifacts, they must be on you.” Ji Xiaoxiao’s lips curled up into a smile that could be described as villainous, both wicked and sinister. “At that time, I was under the influence of the Corruption Potion and had no power to resist. The divine herbs and artifacts could only have fallen into your hands.”

Ji Xiaoxiao's words were all reasonable, leaving no room for criticism.

The terror of the Corrupting Potion is well-known, and everyone avoids it like the plague. Even a tiny bit can wipe out a lifetime's cultivation. Aria's blood contained the Corrupting Potion, indicating the large dose she had ingested. The Corrupting Potion works extremely quickly, almost instantly corroding power; it can cause someone to lose all their cultivation within an hour.

John and Annabella kept saying that Arya injured them, and even if they weren't lying, Arya was under the influence of the [Corruption Potion], so she was definitely no match for them.

Could it be?

"You're crying 'stop thief' while being the thief yourself!" someone shouted.

This sound broke through everyone's hesitation and suspicion.

As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place. John and Annabella were the thieves crying "stop thief!" when in fact the divine herb and artifact were on them. They blamed everything on Arya because they believed Arya was dead and the dead wouldn't speak up.

"No, we don't." Annabella's heart was pounding, as if it would jump out of her mouth at any moment.

The way everyone looked at them was almost like a wild beast eyeing its prey—bloodthirsty, ferocious, and determined to succeed.

“Believe me, I don’t have any divine herbs or artifacts on me. This is all a frame-up by Arya,” Annabella said.

"Whether it's true or not, we'll have to search it up to find out," everyone said in unison.

Without searching and investigating, who knows who is lying and who is telling the truth?

They were so scary, it looked like they were going to eat me.

Annabella grabbed John's clothes, trying to draw warmth and strength from him.

John patted Annabella's hand, his eyes fixed on Arya, revealing amusement and excitement, without a trace of fear or panic.

“Aria, it’s been two years, and you’ve certainly gotten quite the smooth talker,” John said.

Ji Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Thank you for your praise."

John pushed Annabella's hand away and walked straight towards Ji Xiaoxiao. He was tall and slender, and it took him a while to bend down and be almost level with Ji Xiaoxiao.

“You’ve surprised me,” John whispered in Ji Xiaoxiao’s ear.

Unable to bear John's disgusting aura, Ji Xiaoxiao drew her sword and swung it at him. John lightly touched the ground with his toes, performed a backflip, and safely returned to Annabella's side.

"Don't come near me, I stink, I'm disgusting." Ji Xiaoxiao pointed the tip of her sword at John.

John smiled, but then he was filled with despair.

"You don't need to threaten me, the divine herb and artifact are on you." Ji Xiaoxiao's hand trembled, and the sword emitted a buzzing sound.

John's heart skipped a beat, and beneath his curved eyelashes, a cryptic glint flashed in his bright eyes.

"Aria, how come you were able to kill a Seven-Star Greatsword Master even though you were poisoned with the [Corruption Potion]?" John suddenly asked a completely irrelevant question.

Arya's killing of Kolborburg, the lord of Iron Bucket City, was no secret among the powerful families of the capital. Their thoughts were a bit hard to grasp: if Arya was under the influence of the Corruption Potion, how was she able to kill a Seven-Star Greatsword Master?

This is illogical.

unless…….

Could it be that the divine herb and artifact are really on Aria?

Both sides have their own arguments. However, the divine herb and artifact are either in Arya's possession or hidden by John and Annabella.

"Why? What's so strange about that? It's because I, Arya, am a peerless genius."

Ji Xiaoxiao didn't want to waste her breath; she'd rather just use facts to slap them in the face.

With a whoosh, Ji Xiaoxiao sheathed her sword, her ten fingers moving with lightning speed as she cast a series of spells. Fire dragons, floods, earthen walls, wooden spikes, golden shields—it was like a magic show, each one unfolding one after another.

"Wow."

Everyone was astonished; Aria was a five-elemental mage.

No, no, Arya is a fire mage, as personally identified by Dean Derichus, there's no way she could be wrong.

"Because I am a genius, an unparalleled genius, I destroyed my Qi Sea and Magic Aperture. After two years of arduous training, I finally created another complete system for cultivating power." Ji Xiaoxiao started talking nonsense.

Ji Xiaoxiao spoke with facts, and everyone believed her words without a doubt.

Arya created a cultivation system? Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible.

John stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, gasping for breath.

“Brother John.” Annabella grabbed John’s arm. John’s eyes were red, blood red, a terrifying red.

John ignored Annabella. "Arya, I'm going to kill you."

Why? Why is she still superior to him even after losing her power?

John drew his greatsword and charged towards Ji Xiaoxiao.

“Brother John,” Annabella called out, but John was in a trance and couldn’t hear her.

Annabella bit her lip, took out her staff, and decided to lend John a hand.

"A light drizzle of water mist."

The Drizzling Mist is a water-based magic illusion that can confuse the enemy's eyes and nose, making it ideal for surprise attacks.

Annabella was full of confidence. Two years had passed, and John had become a two-star sword emperor, while she was no longer among the ranks of grand mage. Dealing with Aria would not be easy...

With a soft thud, Annabella looked down and saw a familiar greatsword piercing her heart.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!