Chapter 39 Chapter 39 “Your Highness can only try to trust me now…

When dealing with an enemy as weak as a dog-skin plaster, what's the point of talking about martial ethics?

Meng Chu was still immersed in the pre-battle provocations, his face beaming with joy. Suddenly, a black-booted, white-soled foot approached, slamming into his field of vision. His words died in his throat, and he dodged awkwardly like a rooster being strangled by the neck.

Although the person was unharmed, his new robe was affected, leaving a black footprint on the snow-white fabric.

After missing the first strike, Jiu Zhao did not give him a chance to escape. He punched the opponent again with the force of wind and thunder, fiercely hitting his opponent's face.

This posture that left no room for maneuver made Meng Chu's face darken. He then put his fingers together and twisted it, and the folding fan that was his natal immortal weapon appeared in his palm.

It takes energy to decipher the illusion of the heart test, and it also takes energy to climb the Fusang tree.

Now Meng Chu has even sacrificed his natal immortal weapon. It seems that he really doesn't want to compete for the top spot.

Jiu Zhao was secretly shocked by the young man's extravagance, but she did not use the magic whip to counter the attack - the long whip was not suitable for close combat. She simply used her immortal power to strengthen the strength of her fists and feet, and engaged in physical combat with him among the steep branches.

When the fine gold landscape fan meets the hard phoenix bone, it is difficult to tell which one has the upper hand.

The sound of breaking wind rang out as you fought back and forth, and the new leaves of the hibiscus growing on the branches fell down.

Jiu Zhao seemed to be concentrating on the battle in front of him, but he did not forget the other two enemies lurking on the left and right, ready to attack at any time.

Being at a disadvantage with three against one, even though it hurt, she could only disperse two strands of spiritual energy to sense the rustling of the wind in the blind spot.

Multitasking is easier said than done.

Even if one has the ability to sense immortal power, when it comes to real combat, sometimes it is just an instinctive reaction in a split second. If one wants to make quick adjustments based on the ever-changing battle situation, one must undergo long-term training and practice that has been ingrained in one's bones and blood.

Jiu Zhao once again thanked Fuxu for his strict and meticulous teaching over the past three months.

Unlike empty talk on paper, every point he taught was extremely effective when applied in practice.

Time passed bit by bit, and Meng Chu focused on defense and did not expose his weaknesses to Jiu Zhao.

But every time Jiu Zhao wanted to shake him off and move on, he would cling to her like an octopus.

At first glance, Jiu Zhao seemed to be taking the initiative, but in reality, she was falling into a passive position step by step.

This won't work. Who knows what they're planning? If it's a round-the-clock war, I'm afraid I'll be exhausted to death here.

It’s better to take a risk and give it a try.

Intuition reminded Jiu Zhao that the best time to attack the lurking enemy was when she attacked desperately.

She quickly glanced around and had a strategy to lure the enemy in her mind. She shouted as if she was enraged, compressed her spiritual power into her hands, and punched Meng Chu with a desperate and unstoppable momentum.

Meng Chu's eyes lit up, and he opened the fan again, blocking it in front of his chest, with a triumphant smile on his lips.

The moment he curled his lips, Jiu Zhao also sneered in his heart.

Just as expected.

The two foolish Northern conspirators thought they had found her weakness and finally took action.

One on the left and one on the right, using their bodies as swords, they attacked her tense knees.

They knew that Jiu Zhao was temporarily unable to withdraw her hands, so they only needed to injure her lower body and she would fall between the trees because she could not stand steadily.

Sensing the approaching murderous intent, Jiu Zhao snorted coldly.

The sparring on the martial arts field in the past reappeared before her eyes, and Fu Xu's every word filled her ears. She was no longer the reckless novice on the battlefield who only knew how to attack head-on - her left knee was tightened like a bowstring under her clothes, and she suddenly raised her leg and kicked forward. At the same time, she bent down and turned in an incredible posture, elbowing the enemy on the right, and then gave the enemy on the left a fierce flying kick.

"ah!"

Cries of pain came from three different directions. Jiu Zhao, who was suspended in the air, tapped his toes lightly and landed again on the violently shaking treetop. Dressed in red and with an elegant posture, he watched Meng Chu, who was knocked down from the Fusang tree, falling rapidly and unable to get up again.

"hiss--"

After acting cool, she felt a dull pain on the back of her hand.

Only then did he realize that the sharp edge of the folding fan had cut a small hole in his skin, and a few drops of blood were oozing out.

She wiped it away and continued climbing towards the top of the tree.

…

Jiu Zhao was very annoyed because he wasted a lot of time fighting with Meng Chu and the other two.

There was already a gap between him and Ying Luo, and now, he couldn't even see her back.

While dodging the obstacles hidden among the branches and leaves, she was searching for Yingluo's trace.

After trying hard to catch up for half an incense stick of time, I finally saw Yingluo's iconic light blue shark silk dress——

She was brandishing her jade sword, cutting off all the python-like vines wrapped around her ankles, but her movements were not as precise and neat as usual, and revealed a bit of carelessness, giving people the illusion that she was using the removal of the vines as an excuse to delay time here.

Jiu Zhao's figure jumped into my view, and her expressionless face finally showed a smile: "Your Highness."

Jiu Zhao didn't pause to talk to her. She kept walking, her sarcasm mixed in with the whistling wind: "I have already dealt with Meng Chu and his two followers, and you are here dealing with a few broken vines. Yingluo, your cultivation is regressing——"

"It is my fault that I am not strong enough in my power. I am sorry to have caused you to laugh at me, Your Highness."

Facing Jiu Zhao's ridicule, Ying Luo's eyes flashed and her smile showed a bit of shyness.

She casually threw the jade sword aside and pinched her fingers to make it grow wider and longer amidst the humming sound.

Then it descended from the sky and cut off the vines that were originally baring their fangs and claws at the roots like cutting melons and vegetables.

Jiuzhao: "..."

The candidates behind have not yet caught up, and everything is at their feet.

The clouds obscured her vision, and this Immortal Level Examination seemed to have become a place for her and Ying Luo to compete, with no room for a third person.

Before the moment of the decisive battle, Jiu Zhao fell slowly under Ying Luo. Time suddenly slowed down and the two of them even had time to chat.

"You broke through the mind-testing illusion early."

"Your Highness is no less impressive."

"They say the deeper the obsession, the harder it is to distinguish between illusion and reality. It seems that as an immortal, you are truly pure."

"Of course I have obsessions, but they occurred too early. I learned how to control them many years ago."

"Oh? Then tell me, what appeared in your illusion?"

The illusion involves the privacy of gods and immortals, and some of it is even obscene and will not be exposed to the public.

Jiu Zhao originally had no interest in hearing such gossip, but Ying Luo's few words piqued her curiosity.

When asked this question, Ying Luo smiled slightly, with a hint of mystery in her eyes: "Your Highness, do you really want to know?"

"Not really——" I especially wanted to.

Before he uttered the last three words, Jiu Zhao's feet, which were imbued with the light body technique, sank, and he couldn't control the strength when jumping, and almost missed the target.

As she fell, she hurriedly summoned the magic whip and wrapped it around a branch to barely keep her balance.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Realizing something was wrong, Yingluo put away her joking expression and asked seriously.

"Nothing, just a slip."

Although he was dealing with her verbally, Jiu Zhao felt a sinking feeling in his heart regarding his true situation.

She was so caught up in the verbal battle that she didn't notice that most of the immortal energy running through her body had been consumed.

The fight just now clearly involved purely physical techniques, and the light body techniques that facilitated jumping and climbing were only used on the palms and feet. No high-level magic techniques were used, and even the divine whip was only summoned for a moment. How could the magic power be dissipated so quickly?

Jiu Zhao's expression changes could not escape the keen observation of Ying Luo.

Out of worry, she stopped moving and let Jiu Zhao jump and land at a position half her body higher.

It was also at this moment that she suddenly noticed something strange about Jiu Zhao.

"Your Highness, there seems to be something floating at the back of your neck—"

Upon hearing the sound, Jiu Zhao immediately reached behind him, but his palm was empty and he could not touch anything.

Her current position and the speed at which her spiritual energy was dissipating were not enough for her to meditate and feel any difference in her body.

She looked at Ying Luo suspiciously, and the latter jumped to her side and took a picture of the back of her neck with the photography technique, presenting it to her.

Jiu Zhao looked carefully and saw that in the hazy air, there were indeed three almost transparent thin lines in the center of her neck, swaying in the wind.

The thin threads merged at the end and turned into a needle-like shape that pierced her skin, causing no pain or itching, and she felt nothing.

Looking down along the direction of the thin line, there are misty clouds and lush green branches and leaves blocking the way, and it is unclear where it extends to.

If he wanted to catch the culprit, it meant that Jiu Zhao would need to slide down from the treetop and give up his qualification for the immortal examination.

Jiu Zhao's face was as gloomy as water, and suddenly he heard Ying Luo say, "I think I have guessed what this is. It's the secret treasure of the Nine-tailed Fox clan—"

"Drawing the source?"

Jiu Zhao responded reflexively.

Ying Luo nodded. "The tarsal muscle cord draws divine energy—as long as the two prerequisites of being within a short distance and receiving fresh blood from the other person are met, the cord can penetrate the skin without anyone noticing, continuously supplying the other person's immortal energy to the controller."

It’s Meng Chu again.

As his doubts were resolved, Jiu Zhao suddenly realized why Meng Chu had been pursuing him relentlessly with all his spiritual power from the very beginning.

It turns out that this was his idea.

Even if my own immortal power is exhausted, I can still continue with hers.

As for why the Jiyuan Rope was divided into three strands—

Jiu Zhao guessed that Meng Chu must have divided her immortal power among the two supporters in the Northern Territory.

In this situation, if he had not fallen three feet and lost his qualification in the previous fight, the next battle to the summit would be in jeopardy.

Jiu Zhao couldn't touch the Jiyuansuo, and neither could Ying Luo.

She had only heard of the name and effect of this fox clan's secret treasure, but didn't know how to unlock it.

As anger and hesitation mixed together, Yingluo half lowered his face and moved close to her neck.

Jiu Zhao's earlobes and neck were very sensitive. When the warm breath brushed against her, her waist went limp and she took a big step aside, feeling both shocked and embarrassed.

“What are you doing!”

"I just thought of a feasible method and wanted to give it a try."

Ying Luo patiently explained, "Whether Your Highness gives up your qualification for the Immortal Examination and goes down to find Meng Chu, or stands here waiting for them to arrive, the gains will outweigh the losses. Waiting here, even if you meet them on a narrow road, you will have to fight three enemies while they drain your immortal energy. You will be restricted in every way, and your chances of victory are almost zero."

Although he hated Yingluo, Jiuzhao had to admit that her analysis made sense.

"But, but why should I believe you...?!"

"Your Highness can only try to trust me now, right?"

While they were delaying, the competitors below were closing in.

In order to save time, Yingluo no longer wasted energy coaxing and persuading her.

Her rare and firm question, coupled with her beautiful face that looked down at him, made Jiu Zhao speechless.

Jiu Zhao bit her lip, turned her head away in anger and could only agree.

The delicate fragrance from Ying Luo's body was getting closer and closer, but suddenly the sharp sound of a blade piercing flesh came into his ears.