The Spirit King was indeed formidable, capable of slicing bullets with his blade.
But Miss Hua Jian had anticipated this early on; otherwise, why would she have crafted the bullets into explosive types? It was precisely to prevent the bullets from being sliced apart.
“Come on, if you’ve got the skill, try to slash these. Even if you do, you’ll get an explosion right in your face!”
Within the first bullet fired, Hua Jian thoughtfully infused a significant amount of Demonic Qi.
The Spirit King inhaled some unknowingly and immediately felt a dull dizziness in his head.
He sensed something was off, yet couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
Amidst this confusion, he engaged once again in battle with the fire-element Ling King.
But this time, things didn’t go so smoothly for him.
Unable to land hits? Why was he missing?
He had clearly struck the Ling King, yet felt no resistance or reaction.
Unbeknownst to him, to onlookers, it appeared as if he was struggling against thin air, while his true opponent had already gathered Spiritual Power, preparing to deliver the most lethal blow.
Boom!
Accompanied by a burst of heat waves, the black-clad Spirit King, controlled by the hallucinatory Demonic Qi, finally snapped out of it.
A jade pendant on his body shattered under the heatwave’s assault, transforming into a shining white barrier that blocked the Chai Clan Ling King’s strongest attack.
Crackling, the barrier quickly developed a web of fractures, buying him only a brief moment before it shattered completely.
That short span was barely enough for him to mount the most basic defense.
The twin fists wrapped in flames slammed heavily into his body, sending him flying backward and tracing a pitiful arc through the air.
Had he not been wielding a Spirit Tool with automatic protective capabilities, he might have perished under that single punch.
Even now, his condition was far from good.
It was no easy feat to fully block a full-powered strike from a cultivator of the same realm.
His internal organs felt as if they were aflame — a clear sign of fire-elemental Spiritual Power corrosion.
Struck with such a preemptive blow, all the advantage he had accumulated earlier became useless, and the tide of battle turned instantly.
All because of that small unknown projectile that had been shot at him — what exactly was it? A hidden weapon?
There was no time to ponder.
He needed to retreat quickly and find a safe place to recover.
“He’s trying to run.” Senior Sister Linglong softly alerted Miss Hua Jian, watching the black-clad Spirit King rapidly retreat, propelled by the force of the Chai Clan Ling King’s punch.
“I know, but he won’t get away.”
Hua Jian, clad in her Nixi Lingyi, held her long spear steadily aimed at the head of the Spirit King cultivator.
The biggest issue with this Spirit Tool was that it couldn’t fire rapidly.
Reloading the bullets was somewhat troublesome.
Only now, after a long delay since firing the first bullet, had she managed to load the second.
She resolved to improve the loading speed next time — perhaps converting it into a bolt-action would be better.
Lost in thought, she pulled the trigger on the Spirit King cultivator.
Spiritual Power surged through the energy inlet on the trigger into the internal mechanism of the Spirit Tool, activating the formation she had personally modified.
In the next instant, the conical bullet was launched from the barrel by immense force.
Rotating rapidly under the guidance of Spiritual Power rifling inside the barrel, it gained multiple times the speed of sound by the time it left the muzzle.
The bullet tore through the air, leaving a faintly colored trail connecting Hua Jian to the black-clad Spirit King.
Despite his grievous injuries, the Spirit King sensed Hua Jian’s surprise attack.
Just before the bullet struck his head, he caught it with his hand.
A skilled move, but ultimately futile.
The bullet detonated in his palm, once again engulfing him in a mist filled with hallucinatory power.
“Coward! If you’ve got the guts, come out and face me!” The black-clad Spirit King was utterly frustrated.
He was used to being the one striking from the shadows, torturing others, never the victim of a sneak attack.
Only now did he truly understand how irritating it was to be ambushed.
But his annoyance didn’t last long.
The Chai Clan Ling King was closing in, not with a stealth attack but with overwhelming frontal assault.
Caught in a pincer, he was destined to fall soon.
……
“My damage output isn’t enough; when facing higher-tier enemies, I can barely deal any harm,” Hua Jian sighed with some regret after assessing the situation, lowering her massive sniper.
She felt that the non-lethal sniper lacked impact.
Though the Maze Mist Bullets caused severe interference to high-tier cultivators — something low-tier cultivators could only dream of — she was ultimately missing a finishing strike ability.
Strong in support but weak in output, this was the dilemma Hua Jian currently faced.
“Unless you use higher-grade Spirit Tools, it’s naturally difficult for lower-tier cultivators to threaten higher-tier ones,” Linglong thought Hua Jian was being a bit greedy.
Other low-tier cultivators, when facing higher-tier ones, would be completely lost, not knowing how to fight at all.
Yet Hua Jian at least had a unique skill to influence high-tier cultivators, even sway the outcome of a battle.
This was beyond the imagination of other low-tier cultivators.
Had Hua Jian not fired that bullet infused with Demonic Qi, which bought the Chai Clan Ling King enough time to fully gather his power and let the black-clad Spirit King take a solid hit while off guard, the victory might have already belonged to the black-clad Spirit King.
For Linglong to achieve a similar effect, she’d need at least a Ling Wang-grade Spirit Tool, and even then might not delay the Chai Clan Ling King long enough for him to charge.
What’s worse, if she were the one attacking, the black-clad Spirit King would be alert and ready, negating any chance of such a sneak attack.
Hua Jian was not just a control-type support; she was a damage amplifier.
That bullet was like a hypnotic bubble; those hit were controlled and afflicted with vulnerability, making them take extra damage from the next attack.
“But not having the ability to control the outcome myself still makes me uneasy,” Hua Jian said.
“I can’t always expect powerful teammates by my side, after all.”
Hua Jian was someone who liked to plan ahead.
Just thinking of potential situations made her feel her firepower wasn’t fierce enough.
Lacking the power to kill above her rank left her unsettled.
As they talked, the battle on the other side was decided.
The Chai Clan Ling King, with overwhelming advantage, quickly crushed the black-clad Spirit King.
Perhaps the earlier fight had been too hard on the latter; after victory, the Chai Clan Ling King utterly pulverized the black-clad Spirit King’s remains, leaving no trace behind.
Hua Jian frowned deeply, exclaiming it was wasteful.
At least lick the corpse before pulverizing it! She wanted her share of that head!
With the fight over, they removed their Nixi Lingyi and approached the Chai Clan Ling King, who was recuperating in place.
Hearing their footsteps, the Ling King knew the mysterious duo who had just aided him had arrived.
“Thank you both for your assistance. Without you… huh? Aren’t you the two young ladies from a few days ago?” The Ling King recognized Hua Jian and Linglong halfway through his gratitude.
Not recognizing them would be difficult.
Linglong with white hair and golden eyes, Hua Jian with black hair and colorful eyes, both undeniably beautiful.
Such a striking duo would leave a lasting impression on anyone.
Moreover, the Ling King’s young lady had recently had some indescribable experience with them.
“Yes, we noticed activity here and came to check it out. How’s your young lady?” It was usually Hua Jian who spoke in social situations.
Her social skills were notably better than Linglong’s, as long as she held her tongue.
Believe it or not, when she focused, Hua Jian’s social aptitude was surprisingly decent.
Whether she chose to focus depended entirely on the situation.
Right now, she felt the need to be serious and avoid saying anything reckless.
Several of the Chai family had already died.
Without their help, this Ling King might have died here.
Such a situation demanded seriousness.
“Xia Lao took the young lady away. I stayed to buy time, but these guys have clear targets and don’t care about me.” The fire-element Ling King clenched his fist in frustration.
“If you cared about yourself, you probably wouldn’t have lasted until we arrived.” Hua Jian couldn’t help but remind him.
According to this Ling King, more than one Spirit King was hunting the Chai family’s team.
He was already struggling one-on-one against one black-clad Spirit King.
If several teamed up, he’d be done for.
The fire Ling King’s face stiffened.
Though it made sense, hearing it out loud was humiliating.
“My name is Yanquan. Thank you both for your help.
Unfortunately, I have nothing worthy to offer as reward.
Once I rescue the young lady, I will surely repay your lifesaving kindness!” Flustered, he awkwardly changed the topic.
He promised to repay the debt but truly had nothing to give.
Even his medicinal pills and Spirit Tools had been used.
He had no choice but to shamelessly promise a favor to come.
“Don’t rush off. The two of us will go with you.” Hua Jian quickly spoke up.
“Ladies, this isn’t child’s play.
Those pursuing you are powerful, backed by a major force.” Yanquan looked at Hua Jian in confusion, wondering why anyone would want to jump into this mess.
They must have already seen the carnage ahead but still wanted to get involved — baffling indeed.
Could they be a third party wanting the treasure Xia Lao held?
He grew cautious.
Though these two girls saved his life, he couldn’t let his guard down.
Who knew what they truly sought?
“I advise you both not to get deeper into this.
This is ultimately internal Chai family business.”
“Don’t worry.
We don’t care what your young lady holds.
We just want to stir up some excitement.” Hua Jian immediately sensed Yanquan’s suspicions.
He simply didn’t trust them.
She understood his thoughts.
After all, suddenly having two capable Spirit Masters show up and offer help while being hunted was suspicious.
Who would rush into a Spirit King battle for fun?
Only someone like Linglong, who looked for trouble on purpose.
“As for whether we’ll get dragged into trouble, rest assured.
No matter how powerful the enemy is, she doesn’t care — her backing is even stronger.”
Hua Jian pointed her thumb at Linglong, who stood silently in the back acting cool.
Yanquan followed the gesture and studied Linglong intently.
The white-haired girl was clearly no ordinary person.
Her aura was otherworldly, like a celestial fairy descended to experience mortal life.
Such temperament was beyond what most could possess.
Even his young lady’s aura paled in comparison.
Between the two, it was like fireflies against a bright moon.
Someone with such an aura surely wouldn’t engage in shady business.
That thought quietly arose in his heart.
Compared to Linglong, Hua Jian’s aura was far more complex.
She was no pure lotus blooming unstained from the mud.
She carried all kinds of traits, the most obvious being shamelessness.
If Linglong alone had spoken such words, Yanquan might have believed her.
But coming from Hua Jian, they raised questions.
“Think about it.
We are just Spirit Masters.
No matter what, we can’t threaten your two Spirit Kings.”
“If we had Ling King backing and ulterior motives, why waste time chatting here?
We’d just track the battle trail and follow it.”
Spirit King battle auras last about a day without fading.
Chasing directly would be more efficient than talking.
“Sorry, this matter is serious.
I cannot be careless.” Yanquan hesitated but ultimately chose to trust Hua Jian’s explanation.
He realized he couldn’t solve his predicament alone.
Though only Spirit Masters, Linglong and Hua Jian helped him overturn the black-clad Spirit King.
This showed their abilities were among the top of their realm.
With their help, the chance of rescuing the young lady improved.
As for the treasure, he trusted Xia Lao to protect it.
If these two Spirit Masters could steal it from Xia Lao, then hats off — he’d have no complaints.