Chapter 344 – Xue Ying Takes the Field: A Slash That Cleaves Mountains and Seas

Whether the Northern Aristocracy regretted their actions was unknown to the crowd, but their expressions were undoubtedly grim.

Suffering two consecutive defeats, both at the hands of women—under such circumstances, it was only natural they couldn’t be pleased.

Moreover, they now found Yan Yunyu’s abilities quite troublesome.

Indeed, she lacked combat awareness, but she was fearless against strange powers and could even transfer injuries, giving her a high margin for error.

And the Northern Aristocracy hadn’t forgotten that Yan Yunyu wasn’t their ultimate enemy—Mu Lin was.

That one hadn’t even made a move yet.

While some wore unpleasant expressions, there were also those within the Northern camp who revealed smug smiles.

“Heh, I told you not to be too arrogant. The Southeast Region isn’t without its Prodigies—they simply took pity on you and chose not to act. It was your own foolishness that pushed Mu Lin into the enemy’s camp…”

The one speaking now was naturally Lingxu Zi. During the previous argument, he had been angrily rebuked and labeled a coward and a surrenderist.

Such treatment had left him seething with resentment, so seeing the Northern Aristocracy humbled naturally lifted his spirits.

Of course, his laughter displeased others.

“Shut up! We haven’t lost yet.”

As they argued, something even more gratifying to them occurred in the arena.

Yan Yunyu, who had defeated Lu Yun and Pan Gong… stepped down from the stage.

While descending, she murmured softly:

“Brother Mu, I can still fight.”

This made Mu Lin roll his eyes. With the Other Shore Flower, Mu Lin could glimpse others’ emotions.

Thus, he clearly sensed that Yan Yunyu was currently filled with lingering fear, terror, worry, and unease.

Clearly, although the Cursed Blade hadn’t harmed her, it had frightened her badly.

Her claim that she could still fight was merely a brave front to avoid showing weakness, fearing that Mu Lin might look down on or neglect her in the future.

Fortunately, Mu Lin wasn’t like that.

“Don’t overthink it. To me, not only combat can be of help.”

“The court divides roles into civil and military—I do the same. Your management skills and commercial abilities are exactly what I need. From now on, you can peacefully serve as a civil official under me…”

Under Mu Lin’s comforting words, Yan Yunyu gradually calmed down.

Meanwhile, seeing Yan Yunyu voluntarily step down, the Northern Aristocracy’s faces lit up with joy.

“Could it be that Mu Lin is about to take the stage…”

Thinking this, the Northern Aristocrats felt a surge of excitement.

Although they knew Mu Lin would undoubtedly be stronger than Yan Yunyu and far more difficult to deal with, Mu Lin was ultimately just one person, while the Northern Aristocracy numbered nearly a hundred. Through successive battles, they might have a chance to spot his weaknesses and defeat him.

—Even in games, when facing the final boss, people feel exhilarated and muster their remaining courage.

However, before their joy could fully surface, someone from the Southern Aristocracy leaped onto the arena.

Unfortunately, that person wasn’t the Northern Prodigy’s anticipated Mu Lin—it was Xue Ying.

“Hey, why are you up here?”

“A defeated general has no place here!”

“Xue Ying, stop fooling around and come back…”

Xue Ying’s sudden appearance on the stage surprised both the Northern and Southern factions.

Among them, some Northern Cultivators had previously defeated her, and naturally, they looked down on such a loser.

Meanwhile, the Southern Aristocracy also felt that Yan Yunyu was acting recklessly.

However, Xue Ying’s next words instantly plunged the scene into silence.

“I am not fighting for myself, but for my lord, Mu Lin… Three days ago, I pledged my allegiance to him.”

“?!!”

Such a statement was truly astonishing, leaving the audience stunned for a long while.

Only after a considerable pause did murmurs of discussion begin to ripple through the surroundings.

At the same time, some turned their gaze toward the Clan Elder of the Ge Family, remarking with a sigh, “You acted so swiftly.”

“No, I should say, your resolve is truly formidable. Xue Ying is a Prodigy, and one who wields a Spirit Tool at that. How could you bear to marry off such a talent?”

These words left the Clan Elder of the Ge Family somewhat frustrated. ‘That Demon Blade isn’t an heirloom of our clan. Since Xue Ying insisted on pledging allegiance, it wasn’t easy for us to stop her.’ Of course, such thoughts remained unspoken.

At that moment, stroking his beard, he amiably replied:

“There is nothing we cannot bear to part with. Xue Ying is a good child, and so is Mu Lin. Their union is a perfect match, a marriage made in heaven. Why should we stand in their way?”

‘Besides, Xue Ying has only pledged allegiance to Mu Lin; she hasn’t left the Ge Family.’

The Clan Elder kept the last sentence to himself, but Xue Ying’s allegiance had indeed stirred anxiety among them.

People always fear what others possess while they lack it. Now, three Aristocratic Families in the Southeast Region had already established ties with Mu Lin, and Mu Lin was destined to become a powerful figure capable of influencing future events. This left those who had yet to connect with him feeling anxious.

Of course, at this point, their anxiety was only slight, not yet reaching a pressing level.

But what happened next made it impossible for them to remain seated.

…

Regarding Xue Ying’s appearance on the stage and her revelation, the Southern Aristocracy was mostly concerned about the Ge Family’s willingness to invest so heavily.

The Northern Aristocracy, however, had simpler thoughts—how to defeat Xue Ying.

Some regarded her with grave expressions.

“Be careful. Xue Ying is completely different from that woman earlier. That Yan Yunyu has no combat awareness; she is merely a merchant, a delicate woman. At best, she can only exert thirty to fifty percent of her strength. In most cases, it’s her Spirit Tool acting autonomously to protect her, while she merely gets in the way. But Xue Ying is different. She is a formidable warrior in her own right, having experienced countless battles. Even before pledging allegiance to Mu Lin, she was extremely difficult to deal with. Now that she has pledged allegiance, she is bound to be even stronger.”

While some were cautious, others saw no need for excessive worry.

“There’s no need to worry. I admit Xue Ying’s combat awareness is strong, but her allegiance to Mu Lin has been too brief. I don’t believe that just three days could bring about any significant change.”

With these words, a Cultivator clad in black armor and wielding a Black Sword leaped directly onto the arena.

“I’ll take her on.”

…

Standing opposite Xue Ying, the black-armored Cultivator refrained from uttering any insults. Even though Northern Cultivators were tormented by Forbidden Power, not all of them were unrestrained and reckless.

Looking at Xue Ying, the black-armored Cultivator showed respect for his opponent.

Xue Ying, in turn, felt a sense of mutual admiration for the person before her.

“Fang Mu, your swordsmanship is exceptional. I lost to you in our last battle, and I too would love to face you in another duel of swordsmanship.”

“But this current battle is fought for my lord. Therefore, I will give it my all, not limiting myself to swordsmanship alone.”

Hearing this, Black Sword on the opposite side said nothing more. He simply drew his black sword and calmly stated, “This is only natural. I will also unleash my Forbidden Power.”

“Hum…”

As his words fell, Xue Ying and Black Sword simultaneously stepped forward toward each other.

With each step, their Mana surged, and their auras soared.

Soon, both of their auras reached a peak and, after a brief pause, erupted like a volcano.

“Roar!”

As their surging auras erupted, Xue Ying’s body swelled dramatically.

Her form expanded, undergoing Giant Transformation, with resilient crimson scales and menacing bone spikes continuously sprouting from her body.

At the same time, a spiraled crimson horn emerged on her forehead.

In the blink of an eye, Xue Ying transformed from a human woman into a draconic beauty over seven meters tall.

Though, compared to beauty, her imposing presence was far more striking.

—Her massive size and fearsome, majestic appearance made her pressure overwhelming.

Especially her fierce vertical pupils—merely meeting her gaze brought a suffocating sense of oppression, as if being targeted by a natural predator.

The Crimson Lightning swirling around her added a layer of dominance to her majesty.

“So… so strong…”

“She actually makes me feel suffocated and oppressed… Could she have reached Gang Sha Unity?”

“Impossible! Just three days ago, she had only just begun Sha Refinement…”

Xue Ying’s transformation stunned everyone. They had expected her strength to grow after aligning with Mu Lin, but doubling—no, increasing over tenfold—in just three days was beyond their imagination.

“This defies all reason!”

The surrounding Cultivators felt their worldview shatter, unable to believe what they were witnessing.

Meanwhile, Black Sword, facing Xue Ying, felt an immense pressure.

As Yan Yunyu transformed, he also unleashed his power. Unlike Xue Ying, he did not undergo a physical transformation, but when his aura surged to its peak and erupted, an inexplicable dust began to fall from the heavens.

Those with keen perception could sense that this dust was composed of dead Spiritual Energy… the aura of death surrounding him was so potent it could extinguish even Spiritual Energy.

However, compared to Xue Ying’s domineering ferocity and visibly overwhelming power, Black Sword’s aura of death seemed somewhat weaker.

Yet, despite the slight disadvantage in aura, Black Sword showed no intention of retreating.

“…In battle, aura matters, but it isn’t everything!”

With these words, he steeled his resolve and looked up at his opponent.

Coincidentally, Xue Ying, having completed her transformation, also turned her gaze toward him.

After a single glance, “Boom!”—both erupted into motion, charging fiercely toward each other.

On Xue Ying’s side, there was little to elaborate on. After transforming into a draconic being, her physical attributes had surged over tenfold.

Though her massive size made quick turns difficult, her immense strength allowed for explosive short-range bursts as swift and unstoppable as Thunder.

“Crash!”

Just like now, the thirty to fifty meters separating Black Sword and Xue Ying seemed to vanish. The moment Xue Ying launched her charge, her colossal, fearsome form shattered the air and appeared before Black Sword in an instant.

In the spot where she had originally stood, there remained only a massive crater—as if struck by heavy artillery—caused by the recoil of Xue Ying’s charge.

Not only was her speed astonishing, but her offensive power was even more terrifying.

As a Spirit Tool, the Blade of Slaughter naturally possessed the ability to change size at will.

Currently, the Blade of Slaughter in Xue Ying’s hands was a full thirteen meters long.

This Long Saber, seemingly capable of slaying dragons, combined with Xue Ying’s immense strength, gave her strike the power to split mountains and cleave oceans.

“Boom!”

Now, this strike—as if capable of severing mountains and seas—descended fiercely toward Black Sword’s head, enveloped in Crimson Lightning.

“Boom!”

Under the force of this strike, the air roared and space trembled.

Beneath the blade, Black Sword’s pupils abruptly contracted, his heart tightening.

“So fast, so strong!”

(End of Chapter)