Not far away, Dongfang Yingluo and Xiaochen witnessed this scene and couldn't help but gasp simultaneously, blurting out:
"Saint Realm!"
In the brief moment of their verbal exchange, they only saw Xia Zihan hurriedly fly towards the entrance of the ruins, and then the woman appeared like a ghost.
Before the two could even process the situation, Xia Zihan and the woman were on the verge of a fight, and before they knew it, they were already at each other's throats.
At that moment, the Dharma image behind Murong Liyue appeared, and its powerful pressure left the two of them speechless with astonishment.
"This...how is this possible?"
Xiao Chen was utterly astonished. "Only cultivators below the Saint Realm are allowed to participate in the Academy Competition. In other words, she broke through to the Saint Realm in just one month since entering this Shattered Continent?"
"But if one wants to break through to the Saint Realm, one must first undergo the baptism of the Soul Tribulation Heavenly Lightning, and this Heavenly Tribulation Baptism is quite powerful. How come we haven't noticed anything unusual about this world during this time?"
The two of them were filled with doubt, their gazes falling on Murong Liyue.
She radiated a holy light, and under the reflection of her divine image, she resembled a goddess descended to earth, exuding a magnificent aura.
On the other hand, Xia Zihan, though blinded by anger, also showed a hint of panic in her eyes after feeling the pressure of Murong Liyue's Saint Realm power.
But the intense jealousy made her quickly suppress this panic, and the purple starlight in her hand became even more dazzling, as if she were ready to fight Murong Liyue to the death.
At this moment, Murong Liyue gently raised her jade hand, and her Dharma image followed suit, gathering an even more dazzling ball of moonlight in her palm, within which countless spiritual imprints floated and sank.
“Miss Xia, I did not want to be your enemy. Why not let it go and wait for Qin Luo to return so we can talk things out? Why fight to the death and hurt each other, and break his heart?”
Murong Liyue suppressed her helplessness and irritation, trying to keep her voice calm as she transmitted it through her Dharma Image.
She hadn't forgotten how Qin Luo had been displeased by her unauthorized condensation of a Dharma form. If he came back and saw this scene, she was afraid she would offend him again. Besides, Xia Zihan in front of her was his former 'official' Daoist partner, so she should give her some face, no matter what.
Moreover, as long as she remains inactive and waits for Xia Zihan to make the first move, she will be able to gain the moral high ground when Qin Luo finds out about this.
In any case, as a saint, her strength was already superior to Xia Zihan's, and she had already subtly controlled the situation of this conflict.
"You've already blatantly interfered in my relationship with Qin Luo, and you're still pretending to be sympathetic. Don't you find it disgusting? I do!"
"You think you're so great just because you've become a saint? In my eyes, you're just a despicable scoundrel who will stop at nothing to steal what others love!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the purple starlight in Xia Zihan's palm shone brightly, distorting and deforming the surrounding space. A celestial phoenix slowly emerged from the starlight behind her.
This Heavenly Phoenix is quite different from the Purple Luminous Heavenly Phoenix of three years ago. The feathers of this Heavenly Phoenix shimmer with a strange luster of purple, auspicious, and blue intertwined. Each feather flows with extraordinary color. It trembles in the cold wind of the icy plain and emits a clear cry. The sound waves vibrate and ripple in the space, as if they are about to shatter it.
His eyes were like two burning purple flames, looking down at Murong Liyue with endless majesty. The aura he exuded was exactly the same as that of Murong Liyue in front of him, both being First-Rank Saints!
"I didn't expect Zihan to summon Zirui and Qingluan. It seems she really intends to kill this time." Dongfang Yingluo looked at the scene not far away, her eyes full of surprise, and muttered to herself, "I'm really curious what they said just now that could provoke the usually aloof and indifferent Zihan to such an extent."
Others might not know Xia Zihan's trump cards, but she knew them perfectly well. After all, it was precisely the points she contributed that enabled her to obtain the essence blood of the Spirit Star Phoenix. It was also because of this that she was fortunate enough to witness the entire process of Xia Zihan's Purple Radiance Heavenly Phoenix transforming into the Purple Auspicious Azure Phoenix.
Recalling all this, Dongfang Yingluo suddenly understood and finally realized why Xia Zihan had been unable to break through to the Saint Realm for so long.
Given Xia Zihan's physique, cultivation talent, and speed, breaking through to the Saint Realm should have been a piece of cake.
In retrospect, firstly, she deliberately suppressed her cultivation level so she could participate in the academy competition and see her beloved. Secondly, she probably devoted all her energy and cultivation to nurturing the Purple Phoenix during that period...
In the distance, after the Purple Phoenix appeared, Xia Zihan pointed angrily at Murong Liyue. Instantly, the Purple Phoenix spread its wings, which blotted out the sky, and swooped down towards Murong Liyue's Dharma form.
Its speed was so fast, like a three-colored streak of light, that it instantly crossed the distance between the two. Its sharp beak gleamed with cold light, aiming straight for the Dharma Image's brow, intending to deliver a fatal blow.
Seeing this, Murong Liyue also abandoned her strategizing demeanor, raising her jade hand as if to unleash her Dharma form to counter the Purple Auspicious Azure Phoenix's fatal attack.
But in the next moment, the advantages of her Saint Realm cultivation became apparent. Her divine soul perception seemed to have caught something, her eyes changed drastically, and her Dharma form dissipated, turning into specks of starlight that drifted away.
At the same time, Murong Liyue lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a pitiful and wronged look appeared on her face.
Seeing Murong Liyue's change, Xia Zihan was first taken aback, and then the jealousy in her heart burned even more fiercely.
"What? Are you scared? Or are you feeling guilty? Too late! Today I'm going to teach you a lesson, you shameless woman!"
The sharp cry of the Purple Phoenix pierced the sky, and the flapping of its wings stirred up an even more violent storm of spiritual energy. Its speed in diving toward Murong Liyue did not decrease, but instead became even more rapid. Its sharp beak, which gleamed with cold light, was about to pierce Murong Liyue.
Murong Liyue, however, seemed not to hear anything and made no move to dodge or defend herself. She stood there quietly, her delicate body trembling slightly, and her aggrieved expression grew even stronger.
Tears welled up in her eyes, dangling precariously from her long eyelashes, as if she had truly been hurt and bullied by Xia Zihan's sharp and sarcastic words, and was just waiting for an outlet to vent her emotions before bursting forth.
Just as the sharp beak of the Purple Phoenix was about to touch her forehead, a familiar figure emerged from the void and appeared in front of Murong Liyue.
With a flick of his sleeve, the man unleashed a powerful yet gentle force that instantly neutralized the Purple Phoenix's attack. The Purple Phoenix's massive body was sent flying backward by the force, tumbling several times in the air before regaining its footing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
