“Hm.”
Bai Shuanglian rubbed Ling Xiaoyou’s small head and nodded with a light smile.
In an instant, her figure blurred, and she reappeared dozens of meters away.
Although this was a practical combat session, Ling Xiaoyou stood no chance against Bai Shuanglian if they were to fight for real.
To compensate, Bai Shuanglian suppressed her cultivation to match Ling Xiaoyou’s current realm.
Only a battle between equals could serve as a useful reference; otherwise, it would be a one-sided stomp that failed to highlight Ling Xiaoyou’s weaknesses in combat.
Ling Xiaoyou looked at Bai Shuanglian in the distance.
At this range, her opponent looked no larger than a palm-sized kitten, yet the pressure radiating from this ‘kitten’ made it difficult for her to breathe.
‘Maybe it’s just my imagination, or maybe Bai Shuanglian’s aura is simply that powerful even when she’s holding back.’
Ling Xiaoyou knew that if she let this stalemate continue, her will to fight would soon be crushed by that overwhelming presence.
She had to strike first!
She drew her bow and notched an arrow, the Cloud Water Bow in her hands steadying as she aimed at Bai Shuanglian’s figure through the sight.
Then, Ling Xiaoyou abruptly released her grip.
A water-blue arrow streaked through the air, arriving before Bai Shuanglian in the blink of an eye.
This was the signal to begin.
Bai Shuanglian’s gaze sharpened as she summoned her Ice-Blue Longsword, preparing to strike the arrow down.
However, before she could even swing her blade, the arrow zipped right past her and continued flying into the far distance.
Bai Shuanglian: “…”
Ling Xiaoyou: “…”
Ling Xiaoyou remained silent for a moment, looking at Bai Shuanglian’s slightly awkward expression in the distance.
Suddenly, as if giving up on all restraint, she began to pull her bowstring repeatedly.
One water-blue arrow after another flew toward Bai Shuanglian.
‘If my accuracy is bad, I’ll just win through sheer volume! With this many arrows, one of them has to hit!’
Thinking this, Ling Xiaoyou pulled the bowstring continuously, intending to drown her opponent in an Arrow Sea Tactic.
It had to be said that while the girl lacked accuracy, she didn’t lack luck.
Out of the countless arrows she fired, many were indeed on a trajectory to hit Bai Shuanglian.
But the latter wouldn’t just stand there like a fool and watch the arrows fly; she knew how to defend herself.
Faced with the incoming projectiles, Bai Shuanglian didn’t bother dodging.
Other arrows were already blocking her paths of retreat.
Under this Saturated Strike, Bai Shuanglian only had two choices: block the arrows or be hit by them.
She naturally chose the former.
Her sword rose and fell.
The arrows were severed in an instant by Bai Shuanglian’s blade, dissolving into splashes of water.
The Saturated Strike Ling Xiaoyou had orchestrated was completely useless against her!
Seeing this, Ling Xiaoyou refused to accept defeat and tried to continue her barrage.
However, she noticed the Ice-Blue Longsword seemed to have an automatic tracking ability.
Whether an arrow was about to hit its mark or was flying wildly off-course, every single one was shattered by the sharp flashes of sword light.
It seemed the bow and arrows really were ineffective.
If her bow had a set of matching Magic Arts, it might have been different, but she possessed no such techniques.
Perhaps… she could try to derive new spells suited for a bow from the Magic Arts she already knew.
But that would have to wait for later.
For now, she had to find a way to defeat Bai Shuanglian!
Ling Xiaoyou pursed her lips and tossed the Cloud Water Bow aside, preparing to change her approach.
‘Since the bow doesn’t work, I’ll try Magic Arts!’
She snapped her fingers lightly.
Dark clouds immediately gathered, shrouding the frozen lake.
Rain began to pour down heavily, as if trying to restore the frozen surface to its former state.
With another wave of her small hand, countless soldiers rose from the rainwater.
They held sturdy shields, gripped sharp longswords, and were clad in heavy armor from head to toe.
They stood in perfect formation with upright postures, resembling an elite army.
“Attack!”
Ling Xiaoyou pointed her finger at Bai Shuanglian like a commanding Queen, ordering her soldiers to charge at the “wicked” Demon King.
The soldiers were silent and offered no verbal response.
However, their steady footsteps and the tremors caused by each stomp were the best response they could give their Queen.
Ling Xiaoyou didn’t stay idle either.
While her soldiers charged toward Bai Shuanglian, she secretly manipulated the water currents, making them converge near her opponent.
She planned to unleash the Sigh of the Tides the moment Bai Shuanglian was surrounded by the soldiers!
This was both a hidden trap and an open challenge!
Bai Shuanglian would surely realize what Ling Xiaoyou was planning, but she still had to deal with the soldiers.
Unless she could wipe them all out in a single heartbeat, the moment she was delayed for even a second, Ling Xiaoyou would use the Sigh of the Tides to finish the fight!
“Hehe, don’t underestimate me, Bai Shuanglian! I’m actually quite powerful, you know!”
Ling Xiaoyou crossed her arms over her chest and watched her army, letting out a couple of proud huffs.
Bai Shuanglian, who was gradually being surrounded by the Water-shaped Army, was indeed surprised by Ling Xiaoyou’s setup.
She glanced at the featureless soldiers and felt the restless water currents nearby, which seemed to be waiting for an opening.
Realizing the plan, she gave a light smile and nodded.
“A very good idea. Even a Cultivator stronger than Xiaoyou would likely suffer a setback here.”
“It’s just that… it won’t work on me.”
Having said that, Bai Shuanglian took a light step forward.
As her foot landed, layers of ice crystals spread through the puddles on the ground.
The ice wasn’t thick, but it was enough to hinder the soldiers’ movements.
Ling Xiaoyou’s eyes widened.
She watched in shock as every soldier Bai Shuanglian passed became like a rusted machine.
Their movements slowed to a crawl until they eventually turned into complete Ice Sculptures, unable to move at all.
However, the freezing wasn’t absolute.
Ling Xiaoyou could still feel her water flowing slowly inside the statues, but breaking them free would take considerable effort.
By then, Bai Shuanglian had already walked right up to her.
It didn’t matter how long it took to break them out; it was already too late!
‘Ugh, I really lost after all…’
‘And I lost so convincingly. After all that talk about having a great battle with her, it turned out to be completely one-sided!’
Ling Xiaoyou thought dejectedly.
When Bai Shuanglian reached her, she saw Ling Xiaoyou pouting, looking extremely reluctant.
Bai Shuanglian understood Ling Xiaoyou’s current feelings.
After a moment of thought, she rubbed the girl’s small head and said with a light laugh, “Actually, your idea was very good, Xiaoyou. It’s just that my spells happen to counter yours.”
“If your plan had actually succeeded, I probably would have lost by now.”