Chapter 98 Harnessing the Darkness
As Long Tian cautiously approached, Li Yue'er sprang into action once more, launching an attack on him!
Startled, he quickly readied himself to block her assault.
Clank!
Li Yue'er's sword strike met his defense, causing him to furrow his brows. He sensed that Li Yue'er's strength surpassed that of Gui Hu, leaving him baffled by this unexpected development.
"This shouldn't be possible," he thought, perplexed by the situation unfolding before him.
Just then, a voice unexpectedly echoed within his mind, "Li Yue'er's second Martial Spirit has fused with her body; it's a rare condition that greatly enhances her power."
The voice felt oddly familiar—it was Shen Yulan's. Now, Long Tian understood the reason behind Li Yue'er's newfound strength, but he still had to face her.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
The clash of their swords resounded through the outpost as Li Yue'er relentlessly pressed her attack, leaving Long Tian little room for retaliation.
In a fleeting moment, she saw an opening and thrust her sword towards Long Tian's body.
Yet, upon contact, it merely left a minor scratch, unbeknownst to Long Tian, allowing a trace of darkness to seep into his body through that wound.
Long Tian quickly retreated a few steps.
"Li Yue'er, can you hear me?" he earnestly called out.
There was no response from Li Yue'er; instead, she charged at him once more.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Their sword duel continued, with Long Tian wielding a legendary blade, but even so, it proved an even match for Li Yue'er's ordinary sword enveloped in darkness.
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Meanwhile, as Long Tian and Li Yue'er battled, in a forest in Tianzhou, Qin Chen ascended a rocky staircase.
Accompanying him was Han Yuan, the Elder of the Wudang sect. Their clothes bore the stains of their encounters with numerous soul beasts in the forest, compounded by the illusions that made their journey arduous.
Their original purpose was to hunt soul beasts, but fate had led them to this rocky staircase, prompting them to ascend it.
Moments later, they reached the summit of the staircase, where several masked men's lifeless bodies lay sprawled on the ground.
Qin Chen furrowed his brow, deeply disturbed by the gruesome manner in which they met their end. Their bodies lay mutilated, sending a chill down his spine.
"What happened to them?" he muttered to himself.
"It seems there was a massacre here, and these masked individuals were the target," Han Yuan replied.
Qin Chen's expression grew serious, and he noticed the remnants of a ash nearby.
Approaching the charred remains, he remarked, "Look, Elder Han, it appears there used to be a structure here, and it burned down not long ago," his tone filled with solemnity.
"Well, whoever did this is certainly no ordinary person," Han Yuan remarked. "I think there's nothing more for us here; let's head back," he added.
Qin Chen, however, still stood there, gazing at the remains of the fire. Somehow, he felt a sense of loss deep within. Since discovering the rocky staircase, his instincts had persistently urged him that something awaited at its end. Typically, his instincts were accurate, but this time, they had led him astray.
"Hey, Qin Chen?" Han Yuan's voice called him back to the present.
Startled from his reverie, Qin Chen asked, "Oh, yes, Elder Han. Did you say something?"
"I said, let's depart from this place," Han Yuan reiterated.
"Alright," Qin Chen responded.
With that, they descended the rocky staircase. As they walked, Qin Chen's thoughts turned to the Heartblade of Guo Jian...
Only a few days remained before the plan to destroy the Golden Star Sect began, and he yearned to partake in the operation to secure the Heartblade of Guo Jian.
His heart was set on reuniting with Li Yue'er. He missed her profoundly.
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Back at the bandit outpost, Li Yue'er's sword lay discarded on the ground, while Long Tian held her neck firmly.
Long Tian's expression remained resolute. Li Yue'er had mercilessly attacked him, prompting him to retaliate just as ruthlessly. Instead of grunting, Li Yue'er displayed no signs of pain; instead, she sported a wide smirk, her eyes locked onto him.
Frowning, Long Tian persisted, but in the next moment, he felt his strength ebbing away. Gradually, his grip on Li Yue'er's neck weakened.
His expression turned to disbelief. He stood there, every part of his body defying his commands, even rendering him unable to speak.
Meanwhile, Li Yue'er's grin only widened as she quipped, "You're ensnared within my darkness." Her voice, though soft and elegant, in this context, bore a more sinister undertone.
Without further delay, she reached for her sword, which soared into her grasp, and thrust it into Long Tian's body.
Yet, her blade failed to penetrate Long Tian's dragon-like skin. She resorted to using both hands, channeling all her strength into the effort.
Stab!
At last, her sword pierced Long Tian's body. The dark energy flowed more freely into Long Tian's form, causing him to crumple to the ground.
Gazing at Long Tian sprawled on the ground, Li Yue'er coldly remarked, "It's regrettable that I must kill you as well," her voice as frigid as ice.
Not long thereafter, she turned away from Long Tian, who was now enveloped in darkness.
However, mere seconds later, she abruptly halted in her tracks. A sense of anomaly had brushed her senses from behind.
Swiftly, she pivoted around to behold the dark energy surrounding Long Tian expanding, lifting him from the ground. Her expression shifted from cold indifference to astonishment.
Simultaneously, Long Tian's stab wound regenerated. Within moments, the dark energy was fully absorbed by him, who now stood upright, his eyes open.
Confusion played across Long Tian's countenance; he recollected being enveloped in boundless darkness, yet somehow, he had controlled that very darkness.
His gaze fixed squarely on Li Yue'er, and his expression turned ice-cold.
Beneath him, darkness intertwined with lightning materialized, launching him into the air, where he grasped Li Yue'er's neck, hoisting her skyward.
Li Yue'er's expression contorted with disbelief.
"You nearly killed me, but somehow, I can harness your darkness," Long Tian declared, a wide grin adorning his face.
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