Chapter 43: First Encounter with Qin Yixuan
The thick fog remained like an eternal curtain, shrouding everything in the secret realm. Ye Li restrained her presence, like a shadow in the fog, cautiously moving towards the ruined ancient city. The Black Water Mystic Serpent's dangerous encounter had made her even more vigilant. In this secret realm, opportunity often accompanies deadly danger.
Along the way, she collected several rare Yin-attribute spiritual herbs from the outside world, and with her keen spiritual perception, she avoided a constantly moving, strange quicksand pit that could devour spiritual energy.
As we approached the ancient city marked on the map, the surrounding fog seemed to thin out, but the energy fluctuations in the air became increasingly chaotic and ancient. Broken boulders and fractured inscriptions began to appear sporadically, revealing the civilization that once existed here.
Suddenly, her nostrils twitched slightly, and a faint, elegant, cool fragrance drifted in from the mist ahead. Inhaling this fragrance into her lungs, it actually slightly activated the spiritual power of the "Youhuan Emperor Sutra" in her body!
"What a powerful spiritual plant!" Ye Li's heart moved, and he immediately sneaked away following the fragrance.
Passing through a pile of collapsed ruins, the scene before her made her eyes fixed.
Ahead was a relatively open ruined square. In the center of the square stood a dried-up fountain. And on the broken stone sculpture in the center of the fountain, a strange plant actually grew!
The plant was about half a foot tall, its entire body a translucent, icy blue, resembling a miniature ice jade tree. Atop its crown lay three longan-sized, round, translucent sapphire-like fruits! The alluring, cold, and strange fragrance emanated from these three fruits!
"Ice Soul Spirit Fruit!" Ye Li recognized it! This was an extremely rare, second-grade, top-tier spirit fruit, containing pure, extremely cold energy. For cultivators practicing ice-based techniques, it was a priceless treasure! Its value was even greater than those three ice crystal grasses!
However, how could there be no one before the treasure?
Almost at the same time that Ye Li discovered the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit, fog surged on the other side and a slender figure quietly emerged.
The newcomer, clad in the aqua-blue attire of a true disciple, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, exuded a peerless grace. Her face was as cold and pure as jade, and between her brows there was a natural aloofness and nobility. Her features were incredibly beautiful, yet like a sculpture of ice and snow, making one dare not look directly at them. The spiritual energy emanating from her body revealed that she was already at the mid-stage of the Condensing Veins Realm, and her aura was incredibly condensed, far surpassing those of her peers!
Ye Li's pupils shrank slightly—a true disciple! And judging by the insignia on his clothing, he wasn't from the Xuanyun Sect, but... from the Bishui Pavilion!
Bishui Pavilion and Xuanyun Sect are both among the three major sects in this area. Their relationship is delicate, with both cooperation and competition.
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion had obviously noticed the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit the first time. A subtle glint flashed in her cold eyes. Then, her gaze fell on Ye Li across from her.
Their eyes met in the air.
No words, no temptations.
Almost at the moment their eyes met, they both moved at the same time!
The target is the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit!
Ye Li used the Shadow Step to its full potential, and her figure shot straight into the pool like an arrow!
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion was also incredibly fast, her movements were graceful and agile, like a startled wild goose, and she stretched out her slender jade fingers, going straight for the spiritual fruit!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures arrived at the center of the pool almost at the same time!
Ye Li put his fingers together like swords, and the icy wind from his fingers cut directly into the opponent's wrist, intending to force the opponent back and snatch the spiritual fruit!
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion snorted coldly, snapped her fingers, and an extremely condensed water-blue sword energy came from behind and arrived first, accurately hitting Ye Li's finger wind!
laugh!
The icy finger force collided with the sharp sword energy, making a slight explosion! The two figures swayed slightly at the same time, and they were evenly matched!
When the first attack failed, the two men changed their moves very quickly!
Ye Li's dagger had been unsheathed at some point, carrying a chilling chill, drawing a strange arc and slashing towards the opponent's waist and abdomen!
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion flipped her wrist, and a long sword that was completely azure blue and as white as autumn water was already in her hand. The sword light flowed, seemingly slow but actually fast, and blocked Ye Li's short sword just right!
Ding ding ding ding!
In an instant, the two had exchanged more than ten moves!
Swords flashed and fingers intertwined, and cold air and water vapor filled the air! The speed was so fast that it was dazzling!
Ye Li's swordsmanship (fingering) is strange, tricky, cruel and sharp. He always attacks from incredible angles, containing extreme coldness and destructive power.
The sword skills of the woman from the Bishui Pavilion were like flowing water, seemingly gentle but with infinite power. Her defense was impenetrable, and she would occasionally counterattack with a sword, but it was extremely sharp and hit the vital points directly!
The two of them fought on equal terms!
Ye Li was secretly shocked. The opponent's cultivation was clearly more than a major realm higher than hers (she was still at the peak of the Spiritual Awakening stage). He possessed immense spiritual power, exquisite swordsmanship, and immense combat experience. He was definitely a genius among geniuses! If it weren't for the extremely high quality of the spiritual power in her "Youhuan Emperor Scripture" and her combat awareness far surpassing her peers, she would have been defeated long ago.
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion was even more astonished! She was a true disciple of the Bishui Pavilion, exceptionally gifted, and had been the center of attention since childhood, unrivaled among her peers! This female disciple from the Xuanyun Sect, while clearly only at the Qiling Realm (she naturally couldn't discern Ye Li's true potential), possessed a terrifyingly pure and condensed spiritual power. Her extreme cold attributes even subtly suppressed her water-based spiritual power! Furthermore, her movements were ethereal, and her fighting style was sophisticated and ruthless, completely belying the abilities of someone of her age and cultivation level!
"When did Xuanyun Sect produce such a person?" The woman's thoughts raced, but the sword in her hand did not slow down at all. The sword's momentum suddenly changed, like a rushing river, endlessly enveloping Ye Li!
"Green Water Sword Technique: Flowing Cloud Style!"
Ye Li suddenly felt a surge of pressure. The opponent's sword power was like an endless wave, one after another, constantly consuming her spiritual power and compressing her space for dodging.
Her eyes turned cold, no longer holding back. The "Emperor's Scripture of the Underworld" was fully activated, and a layer of crystal frost condensed on the dagger!
"Dark World Finger: Cutting Off the Flow!"
She actually used the dagger to unleash the essence of finger techniques! With one thrust of the sword, she landed on the crucial point of the opponent's sword's movement with incredible precision!
Buzz!
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion only felt the sword body shake, and the endless sword force was forcibly interrupted by the extreme cold and concentration, and a hint of stagnation appeared!
Good opportunity!
Ye Li was about to take advantage of the opportunity to attack and snatch the spiritual fruit.
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion was also extraordinary. Almost at the moment when the sword force was broken, she had already formed a strange seal with her left hand!
"Condense water into a mirror!"
A mirror-smooth ice-blue shield formed by highly condensed water vapor instantly appeared in front of her!
Ye Li's short sword touched the water mirror, and a sound of metal clashing rang out! The water mirror trembled violently, but did not break. Instead, it bounced back some of the force!
The two used the force to float backwards, increasing the distance between them again and confronting each other in the air.
In the ruins square, for a moment, the only sounds left were the two people's slightly rapid breathing and the cold and strange fragrance emitted by the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit.
After this brief but intense confrontation, both men understood that the other was no pushover. Defeating the other and seizing the spiritual fruit in a short period of time was practically impossible and would likely result in both parties being harmed, attracting the attention of others or the dangers of the secret realm.
Ye Li looked at the other party with a cold gaze, memorizing the woman's appearance and the characteristics of her skills. Bishui Pavilion, true disciple, mid-stage Condensation Meridian, superb swordsmanship, water mirror defense... a formidable opponent.
The woman from the Bishui Pavilion looked at Ye Li with the same coldness. The hostility in her eyes remained, but there was also a hint of inexplicable scrutiny and inquiry. Xuanyun Sect, Qiling Realm (doubtful), strange and powerful ice-based skills, unpredictable movements, and exceptional combat awareness... I had never heard of such a person.
Silence stretched between the two of them, and the atmosphere was tense.
Finally, the woman from the Bishui Pavilion spoke first, her voice as clear and cold as spring water hitting jade: "Bishui Pavilion, Qin Yixiuan. What is your name?" Although she was asking for a name, the arrogance and alienation in her tone did not diminish in the slightest.
"Xuanyun Sect, Ye Li." Ye Li's answer was equally concise and cold.
Qin Yixuan... Ye Li wrote down the name.
Qin Yixuan glanced at the three Ice Soul Spirit Fruits, then looked at Ye Li and said calmly, "There are three of these fruits. If you and I fight over them, it will only benefit others. Why don't we each take what we need?"
The proposal she proposed seemed fair, but the confidence in her eyes seemed to guarantee the other party's acceptance. This was an arrogance based on strength.
Ye Li's eyes flickered. She naturally didn't want to fight a true disciple here to the death; it was a waste of time and too risky. Mutual gain was the best option at the moment. But she wouldn't completely trust the other party.
"Yes." Ye Li uttered a word, while his body tensed slightly, maintaining the highest level of vigilance.
The two of them approached the pool again very cautiously and slowly.
They attacked almost at the same time, each picked up an Ice Soul Fruit as quickly as possible, and quickly retreated.
The spiritual fruit is icy cold when you take it, and the pure energy fluctuations are intoxicating.
There is only one left.
Their eyes met again, and there seemed to be an invisible flash of lightning in the air.
With almost no hesitation, the two of them pounced on the last spiritual fruit at the same time again!
Faster! More powerful!
Obviously, no one wants to give up this last treasure!
However, just as their fingers were about to touch the last Ice Soul Spirit Fruit at the same time—
Something strange happened suddenly!
The ruined ground beneath my feet suddenly shook violently, as if some giant monster was about to wake up from underground!
Rumble!
A dull, terrifying roar echoed from deep underground! The entire square instantly split open with countless huge cracks! A scorching, violent aura, mixed with an ancient sense of death, soared into the sky!
The stone sculpture bearing the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit instantly collapsed and shattered! The last fruit also rolled down, about to fall into the bottomless crack in the ground!
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan's expressions changed at the same time!
There is no time to fight for the spiritual fruit, saving your life is the most important thing!
The two of them retreated quickly at the same time in perfect harmony, using their skills to the utmost to avoid the constantly cracking ground and flying boulders!
boom!
Another loud bang! The ground in the center of the square completely collapsed, forming a huge black hole! A scorching wave of air gushed out, seemingly mixed with some kind of heart-pounding roar!
"Walk!"
The two men shouted almost at the same time, no longer caring about anything else, and headed in two different directions, like two bolts of lightning, instantly shooting into the thick fog and disappearing.
The last Ice Soul Spirit Fruit eventually fell into an endless dark crevice and disappeared.
The violent tremors lasted for more than ten breaths before slowly subsiding. The ruined square was in ruins, with a huge, bottomless pit in the center, emitting a scorching heat and a deadly silence.
The thick fog slowly gathered again, as if to completely cover up the brief and fierce confrontation and the sudden change in the ground.
Ye Li galloped for several miles in the thick fog before slowly stopping and looking back, still feeling frightened.
The aura that just came from the ground was extremely terrifying, far beyond the reach of a second-level monster! This secret realm truly concealed great danger!
She spread out her palm, and the ice-blue Ice Soul Spirit Fruit was lying quietly in her palm, emitting an alluring luster and energy.
Although I didn't get all three, it was still a good harvest. And...
The image of that cold and aloof figure with superb swordsmanship emerged in her mind.
"Qin Yixuan...Bishui Pavilion..."
She whispered the name, a complex, inexplicable light flashing in her eyes. It was the intense hostility that arises when encountering an equally matched opponent, coupled with a subtle admiration for the stronger.
After this battle, she had a clearer understanding of the geniuses in the outside world.
Putting away the spiritual fruit and suppressing the surging blood and energy, Ye Li identified the direction again and continued to sneak into the depths of the ancient city.
At the same time, in the fog in another direction, Qin Yixuan also stopped and looked at the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit in his hand. There was also a gleam of thought in his cold eyes.
"Ye Li...Xuan Yun Sect..."
She repeated the name softly, memorizing the name and the cold, fighting face deeply in her heart.
The journey to the secret place seems to have become more interesting.
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