In normal circumstances, given the Iron Masked Man’s strength as a formidable opponent even among early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to fall prey to a mere sneak attack from two peak Qi Refining juniors.
Yet, the Iron Masked Man, confident in his profound cultivation, believed he could crush these two naïve girls even in a direct confrontation. With Dong Yun’er’s earlier pretense of surrender, he thought victory was already within his grasp, making him all the more complacent and unguarded.
Combined with the nearly flawless coordination between Lin Huanhuan and Dong Yun’er, their series of combined attacks caught him completely off guard—he stood there as if stupefied.
Not until Dong Yun’er’s sword energy was about to slash his throat did he finally snap back to his senses, hurriedly activating his protective spiritual aura. But it was clearly too late; at the very instant his aura formed, the sword that flashed before him shattered it to pieces.
The cold gleam did not lose its momentum, continuing straight for the Iron Masked Man’s vital point. At the same time, three wind blades arrived simultaneously, sealing off any space for him to evade.
Had he reacted even a moment later, he might have escaped unscathed from these attacks.
In this perilous instant, the Iron Masked Man’s gaze sharpened as he roared, “How dare you!”
That shout carried a billowing killing intent; wherever the sound reached, it felt as though everything was dragged into an ancient battlefield, where primordial weapons tore through the mists of history and struck at the present!
Even though this sound attack was hastily executed, it still left Dong Yun’er—the closest target—momentarily dazed.
The Iron Masked Man instantly seized this opening, his body flickering to the right. The cold light grazed his neck, leaving a bloody mark, while the three wind blades exploded across his body, their bone-chilling cold burrowing through his meridians and into his marrow—their edge carried a potent frigid poison!
Within a mere moment, the Iron Masked Man had already suffered several wounds, but thankfully, he’d managed to evade the deadliest strike.
‘Truly, the most venomous is a woman’s heart. Damn these little brats!’
He cursed inwardly, killing intent surging, his gaze sharp as lightning. His right hand clawed toward Dong Yun’er’s neck.
But Dong Yun’er, seeing her strike had failed, knew well the gap in strength between them; how could she be greedy for merit? She swiftly retreated, dodging the attack.
“Miss, we didn’t manage to land a killing blow, it seems we’ll have to keep fighting.”
Dong Yun’er stopped in front of Lin Huanhuan, standing with her back to her, a smile on her face.
Lin Huanhuan rolled her eyes and laughed, scolding, “Isn’t that because you missed? If you hadn’t botched that sword, this guy would already be finished—how can you still have the nerve to smile?”
“Sigh, Miss, how can you be like this? Aren’t you supposed to say ‘it’s fine’ in this kind of situation? How could you blame me instead? I didn’t expect that guy to be able to react under such circumstances. I guess I’m just lacking experience.”
“Anyway, it’s all your fault, and I’m blaming everything on you!”
While they quarreled back and forth, the Iron Masked Man was fuming with rage on the other side. “Just two little girls. So what if you managed to sneak attack me? What’s there to be proud of?”
“Crushing you both is still as easy as flipping my palm.”
He spoke while suppressing the frigid poison within him.
Lin Huanhuan sneered, “A Foundation Establishment cultivator falling prey to our sneak attack, then failing to retaliate in time—now that’s something to brag about! I suggest you go spread the word, your reputation is sure to soar.”
“You!”
The Iron Masked Man almost lost control of his breath in anger but managed to restrain himself, voicing his doubts, “Just now, you two were at each other’s throats—how could you suddenly coordinate so well for a sneak attack, and now even entrust your safety to one another?”
“Even if you must join forces to face a great enemy like me, shouldn’t you still be wary of each other? Aren’t you afraid the other will turn on you?”
“And that maid—why did she suddenly strike? That was already the best chance, wasn’t it?”
Lin Huanhuan gently fanned herself. “Do you think everyone lacks a sense of the bigger picture? If we don’t cooperate, we die. Why wouldn’t we work together? Besides, after so many years together, of course we’d have such rapport.”
Dong Yun’er gripped her slender sword and smiled faintly. “I do want to capture the Young Miss, but that’s a matter between her and me—what’s it got to do with you? Why would I ever join you?”
“So that’s how it is.”
The Iron Masked Man’s doubts were finally dispelled, and at the same time, he managed to suppress the frigid poison for now, stabilizing his injuries.
“Answering my questions just now and giving me time to recover—this was your greatest mistake. You’re still too green.”
“Now, be suppressed! Suppress!”
The Iron Masked Man’s eyes bulged with fury, his thunderous voice echoing, and as the word “Suppress” left his mouth, it was as if a great pagoda descended, sealing off the space above them. They seemed like monkeys trapped beneath Five Elements Mountain, nearly unable to move.
“Sound arts, such a devious path,” Lin Huanhuan struggled to move her body, yet her face betrayed little panic even while trapped in peril.
Did she have some powerful trump card? Of course not.
The Iron Masked Man chuckled coldly, just about to increase his force and crush Lin Huanhuan and the sword-clutching Dong Yun’er into pulp, when a bone-piercing chill suddenly surged up, making his expression change drastically.
“Ah—ahhh!!!”
The frigid poison surged like blue serpents slithering through his marrow, gnawing and biting without restraint. The pain was unbearable, making him wish he could shatter his own bones just to find relief.
“How can this be? I clearly neutralized the frigid poison just now—why is it flaring up again? And with extra effects?!”
The Iron Masked Man was utterly stunned. With his body wracked by pain once more, his sound suppression technique naturally failed, and he glared hatefully at Lin Huanhuan and Dong Yun’er, who had just broken free.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Lin Huanhuan gasped for breath. “Want to know why? Too bad, I’m not telling. How’s that for suspense!”
The truth was, from the moment she’d first seen the Iron Masked Man, Lin Huanhuan sensed a grave danger. So, when she cast her wind blades, she imbued them with the special frigid poison she’d obtained earlier.
She’d thought that landing even one wind blade would be great; just one blade’s poison would be enough to cause serious trouble for most people. Who could have predicted the Iron Masked Man would underestimate her attack and take the full brunt of it, stacking the effect completely.
That the Iron Masked Man wasn’t writhing on the ground right now already showed remarkable willpower.
“You!”
The Iron Masked Man was seething with pain and rage, curiosity gnawing at him like a cat’s claws. The torment was nearly unbearable.
“Yun’er.”
Lin Huanhuan called softly. Dong Yun’er responded instantly, her sword slicing out—a streak of verdant sword energy cleaving straight toward the Iron Masked Man.
The sword qi was incredibly swift. At this moment, with the Iron Masked Man immobilized by the frigid poison, he could barely move and had no hope of dodging.
“What—?”
Lin Huanhuan sneered, “You’re not the only clever one. While you were stalling us with questions, thinking we were quarreling, we were also stalling you! You were buying time to suppress your wounds, but we were also preparing to strike!”
In a flash, the sword energy reached its target. Seeing there was no escape, the Iron Masked Man grabbed a nearby lackey and used him as a human shield.
Sword energy pierced through flesh, striking the Iron Masked Man’s chest. Though partially weakened, it still tore through his skin, carving a long gash.