Chapter 1334: A Single Sword Cleaves a Mountain
With the Soul-Gathering Bead retrieved, Ah Mei intended to forcibly draw Xiujuan into it. Given Xiujuan's current weakened state, accomplishing this would be effortless for Ah Mei, presenting no difficulty whatsoever.
However, just as Ah Mei activated the Soul-Gathering Bead, preparing to absorb Xiujuan, a thunderous boom suddenly reverberated from above. The restrictive barrier Ah Mei had set up here was forcibly torn open by a powerful force, creating a gaping rift.
A sharp sword qi descended from the sky, cleaving through the air. After piercing the restrictive barrier Ah Mei had cast, the sword qi seemed to have lost little of its power, its might undiminished as it continued to strike towards Ah Mei, who held the Soul-Gathering Bead.
Ah Mei's heart pounded wildly as she sensed the sword qi's formidable strength. Though utterly shocked by the sudden appearance of such a powerful attack, her reaction was anything but slow. Her figure flickered, vanishing from her spot, and when she reappeared, she was already ten meters away.
BOOM! ! !
The ground was split open by the sword qi, forming a deep gash. Dust and smoke billowed outwards, and the powerful shockwave spread in all directions, forcing Ah Mei to retreat several more steps.
A fierce wind howled, scattering the lingering dust and smoke, and visibility was restored. Under Ah Mei's watchful gaze, a figure now stood before Xiujuan.
The man's trench coat fluttered fiercely in the wind, his long hair swept back by the breeze. He held a wine flask in one hand and a longsword in the other, presenting an image of utter nonchalance and grace.
"Ye Zhiqiu!"
Ah Mei uttered the newcomer's name, her voice laced with surprise, disbelief, and a hint of almost imperceptible dread.
Xiujuan's guess had been correct. Ah Mei's approach to Xiao Kang was indeed orchestrated to get close to Yang Haoran. Yang Haoran was the ultimate target of her mission, so it was only natural for Ah Mei to have an exhaustive understanding of both Yang Haoran himself and his trusted subordinates, as this was standard procedure.
Although Ye Zhiqiu was a Demon Hunter and not an Underworld Official, he was still one of Yang Haoran's most trusted individuals. Ah Mei surely had extensive knowledge of Ye Zhiqiu, which was why she recognized the newcomer at a glance.
As for why Ah Mei was so surprised, even with that hint of undetectable fear in her voice, it was because, according to the intelligence they had gathered, Ye Zhiqiu was the foremost powerhouse under Yang Haoran, his strength far surpassing her own. He was simply not someone she could contend with. Furthermore, her Spirit Power held no suppressive effect whatsoever against a Demon Hunter's Star Spirit Power, meaning a confrontation with Ye Zhiqiu would inevitably lead to her demise!
Though Xiujuan couldn't see the newcomer's face at that moment, the trench coat, the flowing long hair, and the slender silhouette all gave her an overwhelmingly familiar feeling. Thus, even without looking at his back, she could recognize who it was.
"Not bad. Your reaction was swift; you actually managed to evade this sword strike of mine," Ye Zhiqiu said coolly, a slight curve gracing his lips. "I wonder if you'll be able to dodge my next one. " He then tilted his head back, taking a large swig of strong liquor.
Ah Mei knew she was no match for Ye Zhiqiu; victory over him was an absolute impossibility. Moreover, this was Xiao Kang's territory, and with the restrictive barrier shattered by Ye Zhiqiu's single sword strike, many would undoubtedly have sensed the power fluctuations of the three of them. There was no need to wonder—experts would soon arrive, and her situation would only worsen then.
Ah Mei understood the stakes. Without a moment's thought, the instant Ye Zhiqiu tilted his head back to drink, she unhesitatingly fled into the distance. In her estimation, this was the optimal moment to escape; if she didn't seize it, fleeing would become far more difficult later.
Her escape signified the complete failure of her mission. She would undoubtedly face punishment upon her return, but any disciplinary action was preferable to losing her life here. It wasn't a difficult choice at all; she knew precisely what to do.
As for her 'boyfriend' Xiao Kang, their relationship was merely a charade, never born of her true desires. She naturally couldn't be bothered with him. Moreover, given the urgency of the current situation, she had no mental capacity to concern herself with such trivial matters. Preserving her own life was paramount!
"Master Ye! Don't let her escape!"
Xiujuan cried, a look of urgency instantly crossing her face as she saw Ah Mei fleeing into the distance. She couldn't help but anxiously warn Ye Zhiqiu from behind him.
"Relax," Ye Zhiqiu said coolly, setting down his wine flask and unhurriedly wiping his mouth. "She won't get away."
As his words fell, Ye Zhiqiu's Star Spirit Power surged explosively. The longsword in his hand, imbued with a massive influx of Star Spirit Power, vibrated violently. Immediately afterwards, he swung his sword at the rapidly fleeing Ah Mei.
The sword qi flashed and was gone in an instant. Ah Mei's fleeing body, just ahead, suddenly froze in mid-air as if a pause button had been pressed.
BOOM! ! !
The entire mountain in front of Ah Mei was cleaved open by the sword qi, revealing a colossal fissure. Simultaneously, a torrent of fresh blood erupted from Ah Mei's body, and then her entire form split in two, plummeting from the sky.
Ye Zhiqiu's sword strike not only slew Ah Mei but also split the entire mountain before her. From this, one could truly gauge the immense power of his attack.
Naturally, Ah Mei had intended to evade Ye Zhiqiu's sword strike, but alas, its speed was simply too great, far exceeding the scope of what she could successfully dodge. By the time she sensed the sword qi attacking from behind, it was already too late; her body was instantly pierced and split in two by the formidable sword qi.
As for why she didn't dare to choose tearing open space to escape directly, opting instead to flee into the distance, the reason was simple: there was a process involved in tearing open space and then forming a spatial rift, which required a brief moment of time. Even if that moment was fleeting, it was still necessary, and that short instant was time she simply couldn't afford to waste.
Even if a spatial rift had formed before Ye Zhiqiu made his move, Ah Mei wouldn't have dared to enter it in front of him. This was because a spatial rift could only facilitate teleportation after it had completely healed, and the complete healing of a spatial rift also required time. If, during that period, the spatial rift were to suffer a destructive blow, not only would the teleportation be interrupted, and the space collapse, but she would also suffer severe damage, potentially even losing her life.
Therefore, in her situation, Ah Mei very rationally chose to flee into the distance rather than tear open space on the spot and escape through a spatial rift. Her intention was to escape a certain distance, establish a relatively safe gap between herself and Ye Zhiqiu, and then tear open space to flee.
Her thinking was flawless, indeed perfectly sound. Yet, the overwhelming disparity in strength between her and her opponent meant that even having made the most correct decision, she still failed to escape.
Witnessing Ye Zhiqiu successfully strike Ah Mei down with his sword, Xiujuan finally exhaled in relief. She had been greatly worried that Ah Mei might escape, as she still hoped to extract more information from her.
Although she had now confirmed that Ah Mei's identity was suspicious and that Ah Mei had approached Xiao Kang to target Yang Haoran, she still lacked further details.
For instance, who was Ah Mei's mastermind? What were their detailed plans? Xiujuan was still unaware of these specifics, but Ah Mei certainly knew.
If Ah Mei had managed to escape, then given the current circumstances, Xiujuan would have had no way to acquire this information through other channels. Therefore, Ah Mei absolutely could not be allowed to escape successfully.
As long as Ah Mei was left behind, even if only as a corpse, it would be a good thing for Xiujuan. A corpse couldn't speak, but a soul could; she could still obtain the information she desired from Ah Mei's 'mouth'.
Besides this reason, leaving Ah Mei behind would also provide closure for Xiao Kang. Allowing Xiao Kang to personally confirm that Ah Mei was, in fact, an enemy, though cruel to him, was the best and most effective way to make him completely abandon her!
"How wonderful! It's truly excellent that this woman didn't manage to escape," Xiujuan said, her voice still weak but undeniably filled with joy. "I was just fretting over what gift to send as a wedding present for the Emissary, but now I don't have to worry about that problem anymore."
Though Xiujuan's words at that moment sounded breathless, the happiness in her tone was readily apparent. From this alone, one could tell that her heart was overflowing with delight.
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