CHAPTER 123: 123- SCAR-LIP [3] (BONUS)

Scar-Lip’s instincts screamed.

And he instantly lunged first, erupting forward with a wild sweep of his twin cleavers.

Qi crackled down the curved blades like lightning across rusted iron, each strike leaving jagged scars in the earth.

Fang Ruì stepped in, her sword glowing gold.

"Tyrant Light Sword – First Form: Divine Line!"

A radiant beam exploded outward in a straight path, slicing across Scar-Lip’s advance.

The sheer force drove him back a step but he twisted, snarled, and surged forward again, his eyes bloodshot with fury.

"You think your fancy light tricks scare me!?"

But his second charge was interrupted.

From the side, Fang Lian moved without flourish, without warning.

Not flashy, it was just fast... and terrifyingly so.

Her blade left trails of frost through the air as she struck with frightening precision, forcing Scar-Lip into a defensive scramble.

He blocked one slash, barely.

Then two.

But the third came from behind.

He roared as her sword spun low and grazed his ribs, frost blossoming along the torn fabric of his shirt.

He snarled and backed away but Fang Ruì was already moving again, golden light blazing from her sword’s tip.

"Divine Line!" she cried again, forcing Scar-Lip to leap aside.

He landed heavily, teeth bared, cleavers crossed in front of him.

"IS THAT ALL!?" he howled.

Fang Ruì’s voice then suddenly rang out across the battered field, clear and commanding, "Fang Bong, Fang Li, Fang Wen, Fang Rin, what are you waiting for? Lend a hand."

And in that very instant, Fang Bong clicked his tongue but moved nonetheless, dragging his blade behind him. "Tch... Once I reach Qi Transformation I’ll pay you back."

Fang Li and Fang Wen, siblings with matching green sashes, exchanged a nod and rushed forward with determined eyes.

Fang Rin, the quietest of the four, stepped out without a word, her eyes focused like a drawn bow.

All four were at Qi Condensation Stage, barely a match for Scar-Lip alone, but enough to keep the incoming bandit reinforcements at bay.

Opposite them, Scar-Lip snarled.

"Tch. So it’s to be a farce, is it?"

He spun on his heel, spitting blood, and shouted:

"Oi! You lot! They’re bringing in kids now. If you’ve ever wanted a piece of Fang silver or a noble scalp, now’s your chance!"

A scattered cheer rose behind him, uneven and hoarse.

Half a dozen bandits stumbled into view, none over Qi Realisation.

Their auras flickered like guttering candles.

A few trembled from injuries, others clutched mismatched blades with more desperation than intent.

Still, Scar-Lip grinned, raising his crackling crescent axe, spiritual pressure swelling once more.

"Let’s see if united trash can still match raw power."

Fang Li and Wen took the flanks, parrying blades with barely-contained nerves.

Rin weaved between strikes with a dagger in each hand, her footwork steady and precise.

While Fang Bong fought like the bandits owed him a year’s worth of debt.

While they held the line, the true clash raged between Fang Ruì, Lian, and the bloodied Scar-Lip.

Scar-Lip lunged toward Fang Lian, his crescent axe glowing with wicked red light, spiritual energy whipping around him like flame.

But Fang Ruì met his charge head-on, stepping forward in a golden blur.

"Golden Shell Armor: Cowardice!"

A full-body energy shield snapped into place as she blocked Scar-Lip’s downward slash, the ground beneath her feet cracking from the force.

"Divine Line!" she called out once more, thrusting her sword forward.

A straight beam of radiant energy lanced out, catching Scar-Lip along the ribs and forcing him to stumble back.

"Again?!" he spat blood and glared. "You pests—I’ll carve you up!"

With a roar, he lunged forward.

His massive crescent axe spun with brutal momentum, aiming straight for Fang Ruì’s head like a falling star.

Fang Ruì instinctively raised her sword and shouted, "Golden Shell Armor: Cowardice!"

But—nothing.

Her heart dropped. She had drained her qi reserves. No shield formed. No golden shell encased her. She had not maintained her qi reserve!

For a breathless moment, death rushed toward her.

In desperation, Fang Ruì turned her gaze toward Fang Lian.

And that’s when she saw it, a quiet smile resting on the girl’s face.

Amid the storm of dust and danger, that smile was impossibly calm.

It wasn’t arrogance. It wasn’t mockery.

It was assurance. Steady and still.

Something in Fang Lian’s expression, so composed, so unshaken that it reached into Fang Ruì’s chest and untied the knot of panic there.

Just like that, her fear eased.

She didn’t know why, but in that moment, she felt safe.

Then—

Clang!

A sharp, ringing sound echoed through the air.

The spinning axe halted, not on Fang Ruì’s skull, but against a small, circular shield of golden light that had materialized between her and the blow.

It held firm, absorbing the full force of Scar-Lip’s strike.

Not the full-body Cowardice form.

A refined, precise barrier. 2nd form of the golden shell armor, Bravery.

Fang Ruì stared in disbelief, her breath catching.

On the other hand, Scar-Lip’s eyes slowly widened, his axe quivering.

"You... you’re at the Qi Transformation Realm?"

Fang Lian’s gaze didn’t waver from Fang Ruì.

Ignoring him, she spoke softly, "Elder Fang Ruì... it’s too early to be surprised."

"By the way, Elder Fang Ruì," she said, her voice cutting through the lingering shock,"Observe carefully, I want to show you something."

She raised her sword, not with struggle, but with elegance.

"Tyrant Light Sword: Star Form."

A single line of light appeared, then another.

Then three.

Then four.

Then the final one.

Five radiant beams crossed the air like drawn constellations, locking together mid-flight.

A perfect, luminous star formed in the sky, its radiance humming with concentrated spiritual force.

The whole battlefield stilled.

Even Scar-Lip’s eyes widened.

For a while, there was complete silence on the battlefield.

Fang Ruì stood rooted, her lips parted. Her sword lowered slowly.

"She... completed the star?" she whispered.

From behind, the juniors, Fang Li, Fang Wen, Rin, and even Fang Bong, stared with wide eyes.

"...Impossible," Fang Bong muttered.

(5/9 BONUS)