Chapter 38: Chapter 38

The snake does not capitalize on the opportunity. It is hurt and afraid of sustaining more injuries. It is possible, I realize, that this snake was never harmed before, because of its tough constitution. Furthermore, it is possible that the snake was driven out to these edge areas because, while it is difficult to hurt, it does not have the power to survive deeper inside, and is forced to feed here — on Qi Refining realm demonic beasts.

Of course, I do not understand the psychology of snakes, therefore I am not an expert on why the snake hesitates to deliver a fatal blow to Lan Xiaohui — though I would not allow such, of course.

After a brief moment of unconsciousness, Lan Xiaohui regains her senses, and shakily comes to her feet, sinking into a stance. She leans towards her right side, where her broken ribs offer painful resistance to her motions. Her right eye is also only half-open, having sustained damage when she impacted the ground, or during the roll.

This time, when she coughs blood, it is not only because of injuries to her internal body, but also her organs.

I wonder at what point she will deem this situation as “not going well” and decide to use the mnemonic device I taught her.

Perhaps I should praise her. I could easily acknowledge that she has tried her best, and even managed to land a strike on a demonic beast of the third rank and wound it. That was an accomplishment.

At this rate, the best she could hope for is to be allowed to retreat. With the state her body is in, even if she uses the memory trick I taught her, it would likely amount to little more than her own death. This may be an example of my selfishness, but if anything is going to consume Lan Xiaohui, I’d prefer that it be me.

She exhales once more and closes the only functional eye she has remaining. I sense a powerful sword Qi rise from my vessel, as her intent clearly diffuses through my internal channels and rouses the sleeping Dao of Sword within my Essence.

Tiny glittering particles rise from the sword in her hands, coming to shroud her like a corona of stardust, which slowly collapses into itself, forming stars. No, not stars. The points they collapse into slowly elongate, forming the shape of small, one step long swords.

Seeing this, the snake slithers back, lowering its head, but keeping its eyes focused on Lan Xiaohui with a sinister intent in them.

Here, at the precipice of death, instead of retreating, Lan Xiaohui stands her ground and comprehends the Dao of the sword.

I am glad I did not tell her to retreat.

“System command, Lily.”

Immediately, I feel the array on my field pulse and my consciousness trickling through the two-way channel that binds us together. My consciousness and part of my active awareness flows into Lan Xiaohui’s sea of consciousness, and I feel her calm down.

She does not open her eyes. She does not need her eyes to see anymore. I am her eyes. Everything within sixty steps is visible, in complete detail.

With the combination of my [Tyranny], Lan Xiaohui’s sword Qi and her cold murderous intent, the snake’s head rises and its body language suggests that its desire to attack disappears.

But it makes no difference now. With the relaxing of the snake’s rigid stance — its specialty — I point out several flaws in the snake’s defenses, and using my consciousness, I mark a path for Lan Xiaohui to follow.

To her, it must appear like an azure and white trail of particles — to me, it is just a formula of probabilities collapsing into one certainty.

She nods, acknowledging my wordless instructions. Here, in this furnace of life and death, our intent is aligned and in its purest form. We do not need to exchange words to understand each other.

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Through her, I feel an excitement building inside me. Her desire for triumph and to prove herself is strong enough to even influence my sea of consciousness. It responds in kind.

I also want to win. I am infected by her blood lust.

Before she lunges forward, the constellation of swords behind her collapses into my vessel and comes to shroud my edge — giving it the additional sharpness it needs to cut through anything, even this snake, despite her lack of strength.

The weakness I point out to Lan Xiaohui is behind the snake’s head, where the skin and flesh is flexible and stretchy. In truth, she had always aimed for that spot, but it was too difficult to strike.

But this time, she has my instructions.

Once more, she approaches with the Waning Moon Steps, in a burst of colorful Qi and sword energy, and raises her sword high.

The snake attempts to move out of the way, but it underestimates how quickly Lan Xiaohui can move, even wounded. In truth, I know that Lan Xiaohui is in great pain, and that this maneuver causes additional injuries, but driven into the corner, she has no choice but to give it her all or die on the spot.

She follows my instructions to the letter.

The snake blocks the first blow with the flat of its head. Even with her sword Qi, my blade bounces off the snake’s thick skull, casting a smattering of crystallized scale shrapnel in all directions, and an eruption of blood from crushed tissues.

Lan Xiaohui steps to the side, using the momentum of the bounce — which she was aware was coming — and grips my hilt with both hands.

“Heartless Blood Lily, Storm Cleaver!”

The heartless blood lily that stands upon the mountain summit faces the storms alone. Where all others have failed to thrive, it found nourishment. It does not only withstand the storm — it cuts it.

Sword energy explodes from my blade, mixing with the sword Qi to create a powerful visual phenomenon that completely enshrouds me in its grasp. My entire vessel sings with Lan Xiaohui’s pure and murderous Qi, amplifying her intent in the sea of my consciousness.

The blade slices through the spot I pointed out to Lan Xiaohui, and this time, the snake’s body offers no resistance. I cut through its tough scales and skin and flesh, without so much as even imparting any sort of force that might waste its precious resources — no fragmenting or breaking happens. I simply cut. Its bones fare in a similar way, and I decapitate the snake.

Its head — being that of a snake — continues to open and close its jaws, trying to turn and attack Lan Xiaohui, but she resolutely approaches the reptile’s head, steps on it, and plows my tip through its tiny brain.

Lan Xiaohui's strength evaporates and she falls to her knees, her eyes filling with tears. I can feel her pain. I can feel her relief. I can feel her joy.

Then, unexpectedly, she smiles at me.

“Thank you,” she whispers, her tone filled with gratitude. “Thank you.”

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