CHAPTER 20
The Elder Says They're Evenly Matched~
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"Sis, what if… Shiyu tries?"
Watching Ye Qinghan struggle unsuccessfully for so long, Shiyu couldn't help but speak up.
Ye Qinghan had indeed noticed something was off. This barrier formation seemed like a closed loop—no matter what she did, she kept returning to the starting point.
"No need. Sister Qinghan already has a solution."
"Really?" Shiyu clapped her hands, her face lighting up with delight!
"Who do you think I am?"
Ye Qinghan yanked open her collar, pulled out the sword case, and slammed it hard onto the ground, startling Shiyu.
With two loud thuds, the sword case instantly unfolded. Six divine swords shot out, hovering around Ye Qinghan.
With a long sigh, the three-foot-long White Jade Sword was also drawn. The icy glint of Ling Frost Sword reflected on Shi Yao's frightened, pretty face.
Surrounded by swirling spiritual energy, a phantom form like a Dharma image materialized behind him. Yet it was neither divine nor demonic, nor a strange beast—only a sword shadow radiating golden light.
"The Frostsword Formation…"
Her crimson lips parted slightly, her eyes cold and emotionless as she summoned the divine swords beside her. Instantly, the swords responded.
"Breaking Army Sword Formation!"
Sister Qinghan was never one for complications. Only because Shiyu was present did she consider attempting to break the seal.
In Ye Qinghan's eyes, deciphering the puzzle was the inferior strategy. Why be bound by rules?
Rules were meant to bind the weak. But Ye Qinghan was a powerhouse—she had better methods. Brutal, yet effective!
With a thunderous crash, the formation shattered instantly. Wherever the sword light passed, metal and stone shattered into fragments. It swept away all resistance like a storm, unstoppable!
Heh. In Ye Qinghan's view, this embodied the true meaning of: If you can't handle it, don't blame the path for being rough.
"Let's go, Shiyao."
She sheathed her sword.
"Sister, your expression just now was terrifying."
Shiyao stared at the "path" before her, a chill running down her spine… If this had happened outside, mountains would have been split apart!
"Really?"
"Sis, you just built your foundation, right? How come you're already this powerful!"
Shiyao bounced around, grinning like a sly fox. Her vocabulary of praise had run dry, leaving only two words: Impressive!
"If I'm not impressive, Master will beat me to death."
Ye Qinghan just wanted to drop the subject. Bringing her along wasn't a big deal—it even helped pass the time—but this kid's mouth never seemed to shut!
"I heard from the elders that Sister joined Lingxian Hall just for this Ling霜 Sword."
"That's right, but once you're in, there's no leaving."
"Is this sword that powerful? Is it a Heaven-tier Spirit Sword?"
"No, but I love this sword."
Shiyao looked disappointed. She'd thought it was a treasure, but it wasn't even Heaven-tier…
"Why?"
Why does she keep talking!
Ye Qinghan desperately wanted to ask his master if there was any magical artifact that could sew someone's mouth shut!
If this guy were mute, he'd actually be quite likable!
But her biggest flaw? That mouth of hers!
"Shiyao, wanna play a game?"
"Sure, sis. How do we play?"
"From this moment on, neither of us is allowed to speak!"
Ye Qinghan cradled Shiyao's head in both hands like a basketball, the murderous intent in her eyes nearly impossible to contain!
"But Shiyu wants to talk to Sister."
Shiyao felt a little hurt. She adored this mysterious sister who treated her so kindly!
She'd even shared the rare treasures dropped by the skeleton soldier with her!
"Then does Shiyu still want to play the game?"
"Yes…"
"Then how about we don't talk until we clear the next level? What do you say?"
"Okay!"
"But if you can't hold back and lose, you have to give all the buns in your bag to your big sister!"
Shiyao glanced at Ye Qinghan, then looked down at the small cloth bag in her arms. The bag had been sewn for her by the Grand Elder, and she'd been carrying it since she was eight years old.
"Deal!"
She could still eat buns when she got back, but her sister couldn't…
Everyone thought Shiyao was a fool, but in truth, she was very clever!
Shiyao knew her sister cared deeply for her!
Shiyao remained silent, but it wasn't because of a few buns.
Ye Qinghan was actually quite happy with the quiet. Without realizing it, he found this silent Shiyu… quite well-behaved!
Crush wave after wave of monsters, pass trial after trial—Shiyao always stayed close by his side, truly acting like a little sister.
And she truly possessed some skill. Ye Qinghan knew that even without him, she could have reached this point through her own strength.
But the demonic creature before them was likely beyond her capabilities.
This phantom before them likely possessed late Nascent Soul cultivation. Even the Second Elder of the Heavenly Dao Pavilion would have no choice but to flee if confronted.
And certainly not someone like Li Shiyu, who was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?
The circular platform resembled an arena, seemingly reserved for the final showdown between powerful adversaries.
At its center stood a blue phantom—not the first such encounter along the path. When attacked or approached within a certain range, it would immediately spring into action.
Along the way, Ye Qinghan saw countless corpses—some fellow cultivators who had entered at the same time as him, others once-wandering spirits.
All had yearned for the rare treasures within the secret realm, jostling and fighting, risking their lives to carve a bloody path through the crowd—all for the chance to ascend to immortality.
The so-called rise to prominence, to be looked up to by all.
Hmph, how tedious.
With just a glance, signaling the little fool to step back, Ye Qinghan prepared to unleash her ultimate move!
Ye Qinghan wasn't sure if she could kill this ethereal shadow that seemed like a soul, but she didn't care.
If it couldn't be killed, she'd use the jade slip her master had prepared for her to finish it off instantly~
As for why she didn't use the jade slip from the start: first, Ye Qinghan wanted to test her own strength—that was her original purpose for entering this secret realm.
Second, she wasn't sure if this secret realm could withstand her master's divine power…
Ten immortal swords were summoned. Ye Qinghan prepared to unleash her full power, testing whether she could eliminate this phantom in a single strike…
"Frost-Piercing Sword Array, God-Slaying Sword Array, Frost-Piercing!"
Ye Qinghan channeled all her spiritual energy. Instantly, a sky filled with flying swords appeared before her eyes, resembling the scene of ten thousand swords converging on their origin. However, most of them were illusory reflections replicated from the immortal swords.
The Frostblade Intent manifested once more behind Ye Qinghan. The swords screeched as they instantly shifted into the Godslayer Sword Formation.
The sword's wail echoed like the wretched howl of a demonic spirit, while the wind's roar thundered like war drums. The golden streaks of sword light shifted color the moment the words "Frostbite" fell!
Gazing at the snow-white sword shadows filling the sky, Shi Yao was stunned. So that wasn't her sister's ultimate move?
Huh?
Was she less powerful than her sister because she'd eaten too much?
Didn't the Elder say my sister and I were evenly matched?
That stinking elder! You call this comparable? You call this evenly matched?
They're worlds apart, okay!
How could I have just pitied my sister? Am I really the little fool they say I am?
As Ye Qinghan drew the Frostsword from her waist, her snow-white figure charged forward amidst the swirling blades!
The powerful sword qi blew Li Shiyao's neck so stiff she couldn't even turn to see what was happening over at Ye Qinghan's side!
Her entire body was sent flying backward. Only now did little Shiyu finally grasp just how much exaggeration lay behind the phrase "nearly equal in strength"!
Could Sister Qinghan truly be at the Foundation Establishment stage?
Only when the overwhelming, arrogant sword energy subsided, only when her neck could bear her head again, did Shiyu slowly lift her gaze. There stood Ye Qinghan amidst the already chaotic, shattered stones.
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