CHAPTER 396: BLACKENED JUNIOR SISTER (101) (END)

Cheng Mo did not dare to ponder too much, and his movements gradually switched from active offense to passive defense. He felt a rising urgency in the air as the intensity of the battle increased. He quickly recognized that he could not afford to overthink his strategy; the stakes were too high. Each movement became calculated, aimed at minimizing his vulnerability while he assessed the situation around him.

Cheng Mo could only try his best to drag the battle out as long as possible, using every ounce of skill he possessed to evade his opponent’s attacks. All he could think about at the moment was that as long as Qiao Jie ended the fight with Shu Ye, Qiao Jie could come over to assist him. In this way, they could turn the tide together.

However, Yue Ran obviously would not allow Cheng Mo to have that chance.

Yue Ran swung her sword faster and faster, each stroke executed with a fluidity that resembled a mesmerizing dance, as if she were dancing along to a beat that only she could hear.

As she spun and lunged, her weapon glinted under the light, casting fleeting shadows on the ground around her.

The more Cheng Mo looked at it, the more he felt that her moves were familiar— so familiar.

Cheng Mo could not shake the sensation of familiarity.

Each flick of her wrist, each pivot of her body stirred memories deep within him.

It was as if he had witnessed this enchanting display before.

No, he must have seen it somewhere before... But where could he have seen it?

As the battle progressed, fragments of memory began to surface.

It struck him suddenly— it was the ethereal dance he had observed at the Immortal Sacrifice Ceremony held within the opulent halls of the imperial palace!

The way Yue Ran wielded her sword mirrored the elegance and attractiveness of one of the dancers from that momentous occasion!

Yue Ran was the captivating red-clad dancer who became famous in the imperial city that day with just one mesmerizing performance! She made the third prince— and many others— lose his (and their) mind (minds), seeming to weave a spell of enchantment, leaving even the stoic third prince utterly entranced, but then disappeared so mysteriously for some unknown reason!

It was ridiculous! It was really ridiculous!

In his mundane life, the one individual that he ever had a crush on and was moved by was the one enemy who might reap his life in the end!

"Lord Cheng, this is not a good time to get distracted," Yue Ran remarked, her voice breaking through his thoughts with sharp clarity.

Yue Ran swung her sword and turned around, seizing the opportunity of his distraction to cut off his left arm. Cheng Mo took three steps back with blood spurting from his mouth and hand. In such a time of weakness, he stumbled and fell from mid-air!

Yue Ran shook off the blood on the sword and expanded the spiritual power hub that linked her to Long Yuan. All at once, more spiritual power flowed from Yue Ran’s body to Long Yuan like crazy!

The young woman did not hesitate to make her next move. She turned over and swung the sword at Qiao Jie with his back turned to her. Qiao Jie could barely block the sudden attack.

On the other hand, Shu Ye’s condition did not look optimistic. He was covered with wounds, several ribs were broken, and his right hand was also fractured. At a time like this, it was difficult for him to evade any attack coming from Qiao Jie.

Qiao Jie possessed a strength that was undeniably superior to that of Yue Ran. If she was entangled by him at close range, it would be easy for her to suffer.

Yue Ran unloaded her strength and retreated, then swung the sword again. Her movements were fast and fierce, and each move was insidious and vicious. Although Qiao Jie was slightly injured, he could still defend against the majority of her attacks.

He was waiting.

Now, Yue Ran appeared to be pushing the limits of her body, her body straining with effort as she launched layer upon layer of fierce attack in his direction. It does not matter because as long as he waited until her attack ended and became weak, it would be the right time for him to fight back!

True to expectations, after enduring a series of attacks, Yue Ran’s breathing became a little disordered. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest became uneven, and each inhale was accompanied by a faint hitch as exhaustion took its toll. Her once nimble movements grew increasingly sluggish, the grace with which she initially fought now marred by a sense of fragility. With every move, there was a noticeable wobble, a telltale sign of her unsteady foundation that hinted at the toll the relentless confrontation had imposed on her body.

Qiao Jie seized the opportunity to turn over and stabbed her abdomen with the sword in his hand! Crimson droplets clung to the blade of his sword and the back of his hand.

The sneer on Qiao Jie’s face had not yet solidified, but in the next moment, he heard a bursting sound in the air, and then the sharp and cold front end of the sword pierced into his chest.

He looked back, only to see that it was Long Yuan who had done it.

This was the flaw that Yue Ran had sold with "good intentions" to Qiao Jie. The moment Qiao Jie moved to stab his sword into Yue Ran’s body, she took advantage of their close proximity to toss her sword behind him. The Sword of the Demon transformed back into Long Yuan— its human form— and pierced into Qiao Jie’s chest.

Cheng Mo’s vision was blurred. Looking at Qiao Jie falling from mid-air, he slowly closed his eyes and then began to recall his master’s words in his head.