These vines are actually this tough? Liu Yi was startled, and with a forceful tug, he flung Hua Jian into the air.
Although Hua Jian had indeed wrapped his weapon with vines, when it came to strength, she was still lacking—she simply couldn’t match his brute force.
Yet, as she was thrown, Hua Jian remained utterly calm; her vines stayed tightly coiled around the greatsword, preventing her from truly being flung away.
And this situation—this was actually one of the scenarios she most looked forward to encountering!
In midair, she pulled hard on the vines, using Liu Yi’s own momentum to shoot straight into close range.
As the distance rapidly shortened, her vines gained even greater agility, but with it came an ever sharper sensation on her hands—like being cut by knives.
Within a range where she could flexibly control them, the vines’ senses became more acute. Gains and losses, she thought.
But this pain only made Hua Jian’s mind even colder and more focused. She felt no fear.
Though it was her first time fighting someone like this, she found a sense of effortless joy, as if a fish returned to water.
Her gaze darted over her opponent’s face; in an instant, she locked onto those wide, glaring eyes.
There—it should be a weak point in his defense!
The vines wrapped around the greatsword swiftly recoiled. Quietly, Hua Jian gripped two gleaming silver throwing knives in her hands.
“Take this! Maple Explosion!”
A spirit art she learned from Fenghua Venerable erupted again.
A red-and-silver maple-leaf orb appeared in Hua Jian’s palm, which she pressed straight toward the Metal-element Spiritualist before her.
Normally, Maple Explosion was meant as long-range firepower suppression; using it as Hua Jian did now was quite unorthodox.
But since even Fenghua Venerable never objected, why shouldn’t Hua Jian stretch her imagination a bit?
“Cheap tricks—you can’t hurt me.” Liu Yi held his sword horizontally in front, his words disdainful, but his actions wary.
This was a move he’d never heard of; better to be cautious.
But Hua Jian didn’t slam the maple orb into his sword. Instead, she flung it behind his back with a sudden toss.
At that moment, deep green vines surged up from under Liu Yi’s feet, aiming to entangle his legs.
Yet, before the vines even neared him, his Spiritual Power exploded outward, slicing them clean.
Hua Jian frowned at the sight. The vines she’d summoned felt a bit too brittle…
“Haha! A greenhorn Wood Spirit Energy user dares challenge me? Die!”
Seeing that Hua Jian’s vines couldn’t even break through his Spirit Shield, Liu Yi’s confidence soared.
Swinging his greatsword, he charged at Hua Jian.
But just as his sword was about to strike her, Hua Jian suddenly burst into a flurry of drifting petals right before his eyes.
Retreat Technique?!
Liu Yi’s pupils contracted. A spiritualist who could wield a Retreat Technique? Was this girl not so simple after all?
“I was just testing out a move. Don’t flatter yourself.” Hua Jian’s voice rang out from behind him.
Now Hua Jian more or less understood why some Wanling Sect cultivators always carried various plant seeds in secret realms—the vines grown directly with Wood Spirit Energy were too fragile, especially when faced with Metal-element Spiritual Power.
And since she needed her fine vines for killing blows and couldn’t use them recklessly, didn’t she need some mid-tier battle gear?
In this situation, Wanling Sect’s answer was to carry plant seeds at all times, so they could instantly grow battle-worthy vines far stronger than normal plants.
And it just so happened that Hua Jian had some of these on hand, thanks to the selfless Wanling Sect Disciples in the Dragon City Secret Realm. Without them, she wouldn’t have gotten these seeds.
She dug out a pouch labeled “Thorn Vine” from her Storage Pouch, grabbed a few seeds, and infused them with Spiritual Power.
Immediately, she felt a response from the seeds—she could sense her own control over them.
As expected of Wanling Sect’s custom battle plants—so handy to use.
Hua Jian flung the seeds forward. They erupted in the air, wildly growing into a massive Spirit Net.
Liu Yi struck the Thorn Vine Spirit Net with all his might, yet could only slash a not-so-large opening.
Battle plants produced by Wanling Sect weren’t something an ordinary Metal-element Spiritualist could cut through at will.
Especially when nourished by Hua Jian’s Spiritual Power, these Thorn Vines were greatly enhanced.
The Spirit Net dropped over Liu Yi, and in an instant, thick, dense roots at its edges dug into the earth.
No matter how Liu Yi struggled, he couldn’t break free.
If it were only a single layer, he might still be able to hack an opening with his sword, given time.
But would Hua Jian give him that chance?
The Maple Explosion orb she had thrown earlier now returned at just the right moment, transforming into a barrage of high-speed maple leaves raining down on Liu Yi.
“Damn brat, to make me use this move…” Sensing danger, Liu Yi instantly swept his hand across his waist.
A layer of pure white Spiritual Power burst from his waist, instantly shredding Hua Jian’s Spirit Net.
“A defensive Spirit Tool?” Hua Jian recognized what he’d used right away.
If she could force Liu Yi to use his Spirit Tool first, she might as well prepare an award speech.
Especially since the tool Liu Yi used wasn’t even at the Ling Wang Realm level.
Hua Jian’s Maple Explosion was different from Fenghua Venerable’s original.
Its main killing power wasn’t from the explosion, but from several hidden Ling Wang Realm blades!
The red maple and the blast were just distractions—the real trump card was hidden deep inside.
Liu Yi had no idea where the trick was. Relying on his Spirit Tool’s shield to block a few maple-leaf explosions, his uneasy expression relaxed.
That was it? Not even enough to scratch his Spirit Tool.
“Brat, little tricks won’t help you win!” He raised his greatsword again, just as a flash of silver caught his eye.
A chill shot up his spine. By reflex, he altered his attack, swinging his greatsword up as a shield before him.
In the next instant, the Spirit Tool shield that had filled him with security shattered with a bang.
Clang!
A metallic crash rang out—something had struck his sword.
But at this point, Liu Yi had no time to wonder what had smashed his shield.
Because Hua Jian had already closed in, pointing a long-barreled Spirit Tool directly at his head.
Although Hua Jian had modified the Spirit Tool musket to fire bullets, she hadn’t abandoned its original purpose.
At a time like this, she could use its pure Spiritual Power attack mode to give her opponent a little surprise.
She pulled the trigger. Rainbow light shot from the black muzzle, hitting Liu Yi’s waist—still stiff from the Ling Wang blade strike.
“Urgh!” Liu Yi grunted, pain twisting his face.
In some ways, the gun’s pure energy attack was a bit underwhelming; even now, Hua Jian’s shot hadn’t pierced his body.
If she’d used a different Spirit Tool, Liu Yi might have been cleaved in two.
But Hua Jian had to follow up.
With another shot stunning Liu Yi even more, Hua Jian stashed the Spirit Tool musket back into her Storage Pouch.
From behind, a fine, snake-like vine snaked out, retrieving the Ling Wang blade that had stunned Liu Yi.
Then, a new fine vine sprouted from her palm. Nimbly, she leapt onto Liu Yi’s shoulder, and before he could recover, looped the vine around his neck.
The vine tightened. Liu Yi struggled, but with Hua Jian at his back, his efforts couldn’t reach her.
As for cutting the vine around his neck—he wanted to, but this vine was different from the ones he’d sliced earlier.
It was the same tough vine that hadn’t taken any damage when coiled around his sword. There was no way to cut through it.
A wave of fear welled up inside. He realized that unless he did something drastic, this uncanny vine would soon strangle him to death.
His breathing grew labored; he couldn’t hold out much longer.
“I—I surrender!” With his last strength, he cried out.
Surrendered?
Hua Jian narrowed her eyes, loosened the vine, and smiled. “See? If you’d surrendered earlier, you wouldn’t have suffered so much.”
Finally able to breathe, Liu Yi staggered and took a few deep breaths.
He turned to look at Hua Jian, who seemed to have let down all her guard.
At that moment, Hua Jian had her back to him, crouched and searching for something on the ground.
As she looked, she muttered softly, “Strange, where did that little knife go?”
Completely unguarded? A cold glint flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes. This little brat was too naive, actually thinking he’d surrender?
It was just a trick to appear weak. Anyone who’d survived in the Northern Mountains would never trust words like that.
Only the dead are worth trusting!
Now, he’d make this foolish little girl pay for her ignorance—with her life.
Gripping his greatsword tightly, and at this distance, he was sure no one could react to his sneak attack.
Foolish thing—die!
Spiritual Power surged into his sword as he stared at her back. In the next instant, he would run her through.
I can’t wait to see what kind of face you’ll make before you die.
“Ah! Found it! It was here all along!”
The girl, back still to him, let out a joyful exclamation.
Hmph, still lost in your little happiness?
Let your last thought freeze at this moment, then!
Rip!
Liu Yi’s body wobbled.