Had she heard wrong?

All the relaxed expressions on Jian Chou’s face finally gradually faded away, revealing an indescribable cold solemnity.

She slowly raised her eyes, staring at Qu Zhengfeng.

He said, Draw swords?

Telling her to draw swords?

Qu Zhengfeng raised his hand, his movements slow, gradually drawing the Haiguang Sword from its sheath inch by inch.

That posture was like extracting a piece of deep sea from the scabbard, carrying a silent vastness. The dark blue radiance, originally cold and gloomy, became warm as the sword light was drawn out bit by bit.

The ocean’s embrace.

Little by little, spiritual power flowed into the Haiguang Sword, and thus the dark blue blade gradually became translucent.

That was the azure blue that Jian Chou had already begun to grow familiar with.

This was the state of the Haiguang Sword when its power was pushed to the extreme.

Clear.

Dangerous.

Fighting spirit soaring.

From that battle on the sea just now, Qu Zhengfeng hadn’t fought enough.

Inch by inch, the azure blue blade.

Qu Zhengfeng was slowly drawing the Haiguang Sword, as if he greatly enjoyed this feeling.

When drawing the sword, his smile was very genuine.

However, Jian Chou still didn’t understand.

Gripping Guifu in her slender white palm, Jian Chou asked, “Why draw swords?”

“Drawing swords is drawing swords, there’s no reason.” Qu Zhengfeng’s movements showed no pause, his voice gentle and soft, even carrying a flowing, meandering quality, “Didn’t Junior Brother Shen teach you that ‘drawing swords at the slightest disagreement’—reasons are something that we disciples of Yashan should never need to consider?”

Drawing swords at the slightest disagreement.

In Jian Chou’s view…

This was for outsiders.

Her five fingers tightened, then, as if feeling she was too tense, she loosened them.

“But I don’t want to draw my sword against you.”

“I want to draw my sword against you, and that’s enough.”

As his words fell, the last inch of the sword tip finally separated from the scabbard, and a complete Haiguang Sword finally appeared before Qu Zhengfeng’s eyes.

He casually waved it, executing a sword flourish with movements that could be called graceful.

Looking up at Jian Chou, her body was tense, seemingly still questioning him, yet she had already assumed a stance as if facing a great enemy.

Qu Zhengfeng couldn’t help but laugh, “You say with your mouth that you don’t want to draw your sword against me, but your body is already prepared to draw your sword against me. Little Junior Sister, saying one thing while meaning another isn’t very good… We disciples of Yashan all say what we mean.”

Say what we mean?

She didn’t think any of the disciples under Fudao Shanren were such honest people.

Jian Chou didn’t know what state her body was actually in. She only felt that the moment Qu Zhengfeng’s Haiguang Sword was completely unsheathed, a powerful pressure descended, oppressing her, making her feel suppressed and unable to breathe.

That feeling was like being unable to resist bowing in worship to someone with higher cultivation than herself.

If she didn’t grip the Guifu in her hand tightly, she would almost be unable to control her own body.

Her palms began to sweat, and her breathing also became somewhat erratic.

Jian Chou bit her teeth and asked with forced calm, “Junior Brother Qu… do you dislike me becoming Yashan’s Big Senior Sister?”

“You can think of it that way.”

Qu Zhengfeng was noncommittal.

He casually swayed the sword in his hand.

“If you don’t draw your sword soon, I won’t be polite anymore.”

Draw swords?

Jian Chou suddenly laughed, looking at Qu Zhengfeng.

Too powerful…

Qu Zhengfeng, who usually seemed so approachable, after releasing all his momentum, was completely beyond her reach.

Approachable?

It was all just an illusion!

How could a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator be approachable?

Jian Chou’s gaze gradually brightened.

At that moment, she couldn’t say exactly what kind of mood she was in.

A Second Junior Brother who had originally been thoughtful and considerate, caring for everyone, suddenly demanded she draw her sword and become cold and unreasonable—anyone would find it hard to accept.

But after the initial difficulty accepting it, Jian Chou felt an indescribable excitement.

She struggled to lift her head, looking directly at him, that gaze carrying a burning intensity.

“But I don’t have a sword.”

However, she had an axe.

Guifu was finally slowly raised.

Woo…

Ten thousand ghosts howled, as if stimulated by something, madly drilling out from the countless patterns on the axe body!

Qu Zhengfeng watched, the strange color in his eyes growing heavier.

Having been Yashan’s Big Senior Brother for so many years, suddenly having a Foundation Establishment stage Little Junior Sister become the Big Senior Sister, this feeling…

It was quite interesting.

Qu Zhengfeng smiled with interest, “Looks decent, but… still far from enough!”

Without mercy, Qu Zhengfeng directly swept out with one sword!

Whoosh!

The sound of huge waters rang beside Jian Chou’s ears!

She had already observed Qu Zhengfeng fighting others on the Western Sea today. Although this battle came somewhat suddenly, those scenes from the sea continuously flashed through her mind.

Perhaps it was extreme tension, extreme excitement…

Jian Chou couldn’t say which emotion occupied a higher proportion. She could only follow her instincts, wielding the giant axe that was taller than herself, striking out with one blow!

A huge axe shadow immediately flew out from the axe body!

One, two, three!

Each axe shadow appeared in a different position!

Splitting the sky—meaning “splitting open space.”

These axe shadows appeared strangely and precipitously…

Unfortunately, Qu Zhengfeng was battle-hardened, definitely not comparable to someone like Jian Chou, who had only experienced a few small battles.

The moment the wave-like sword light collided with the axe shadows, before Jian Chou could move, Qu Zhengfeng had already flashed directly, transforming into a stream of light, passing straight through the air waves created by the collision, instantly appearing before Jian Chou!

Jian Chou’s heart was shocked, and she felt her hair stand on end.

Perhaps Qu Zhengfeng’s momentum was too strong—she couldn’t sense even half a bit that this “Junior Brother Qu” was joking!

A real battle!

He was going nearly all out!

If she wasn’t serious enough, with only Foundation Establishment cultivation, she might die!

This absurd feeling, which Jian Chou would never have imagined under normal circumstances, now appeared so realistically in her heart!

In that moment, all potential was激发ed by this survival crisis pressure!

Her heart suddenly calmed down.

Her mind became completely cool and collected.

Guifu was the magical artifact she had chosen, once a mystical treasure of considerable power, but it wasn’t her most reliable weapon because she didn’t have a sufficiently suitable Dao Seal to match it.

Her only Dao Seal wasn’t cultivated enough yet.

So at this moment, Jian Chou’s strongest asset wasn’t Guifu, but her body!

Heavenly Void Body!

She had also learned several other Dao Seals!

Qu Zhengfeng turned his right hand, actually holding the Haiguang Sword in reverse, like wielding a sharp dagger, slashing horizontally toward Jian Chou’s neck!

This was going for the throat!

When such danger approached, normal people’s minds would go blank for an instant, but Jian Chou was incredibly clear!

Raising her hand, one finger!

She completely ignored the Haiguang Sword getting closer and closer to her neck, her gaze becoming ethereal…

Scenes from her past mundane world life flashed through her mind like a carousel.

She still remembered her acquaintance and friendship with Xie Buchen…

All the former warmth, care, and stirrings in her heart.

Rolling through ten thousand li of red dust, once there are attachments, it becomes—

Entering Delusion!

From Jian Chou’s brow center ancestral aperture, radiance as brilliant as the Milky Way finally emanated outward.

When the Entering Delusion finger struck, a battle disc also lit up beneath her feet!

Countless star-dust-like brilliance was condensed on this single finger!

At this moment, the sword edge was already at her neck!

At this moment, her finger had reached Qu Zhengfeng’s brow!

Qu Zhengfeng’s pupils were very black, and his eyes were always filled with light, cool composure.

But the instant her star-dust-wrapped finger came toward his brow, a faint confusion suddenly clouded his eyes. However, it was only for an instant before he regained clarity.

How powerful was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator’s spirit?

Far beyond what Jian Chou, currently only at Foundation Establishment, could confuse.

The Entering Delusion finger could only make Qu Zhengfeng dazed for such an instant!

But in such a perilous battle, this instant was enough!

Jian Chou’s other hand unhesitatingly struck out with the axe!

Qu Zhengfeng’s sword-wielding hand had slowed by an inch at this moment, and this single inch had led to this failure.

He had to withdraw his hand and dodge Jian Chou’s strike that carried wind and thunder!

A slight look of surprise appeared in his cool eyes.

He truly hadn’t expected this.

This was the first time Jian Chou had revealed her other abilities to others.

Both the Sky-Splitting Axe and Entering Delusion fingers were newly learned.

Now, at this critical moment, she could use them with ease.

Perhaps it should be said that precisely under Qu Zhengfeng’s overwhelmingly oppressive attack, she could stimulate all her potential, managing such a narrow victory over Qu Zhengfeng in her first real combat.

However…

This was only one victory.

After avoiding her axe strike, Qu Zhengfeng laughed, “I couldn’t tell Little Junior Sister was also someone who hides her abilities.”

Little Junior Sister?

These three words sounded full of teasing, even mockery.

Jian Chou furrowed her brows tightly, pressing her lips into a straight line. Without a word, she heavily stepped forward, turning defense into offense!

The Guifu in her hand flashed with light and directly disappeared into her brow center.

Jian Chou lunged forward, and the battle disc that had been beneath her feet suddenly disappeared after a flash of strong light!

Qu Zhengfeng, who had just steadied himself, couldn’t help narrowing his eyes.

A premonition suddenly rose in his heart.

Heavenly Void Body?

The moment this thought appeared, the battle disc that had originally disappeared beneath Jian Chou’s feet reappeared—now on her pale hand!

This hand was right before his eyes!

Boom!

Heaven-Overturning Seal!

Countless spiritual powers within her body madly surged toward her palm!

Jian Chou could almost not control it!

Borrowing the force of the spiritual power’s mad surge, she fiercely pushed forward.

A palm shadow finally separated from her hand, as if it would cover Qu Zhengfeng with one strike!

Qu Zhengfeng saw this familiar scene and rarely laughed heartily.

This could be considered Jian Chou’s trump card.

As a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, to be able to learn such an extraordinary Dao Seal, and even use the Heavenly Void Body’s special nature to execute this Dao Seal without too much reduction in power—this was already extremely rare.

A faint cold light emerged from Qu Zhengfeng’s eyes.

He watched Jian Chou’s approaching palm, touched the ground with his toes, and began retreating at extreme speed!

In the blink of an eye, he had already retreated to the edge of this Return-to-Sheath Peak!

When he could retreat no further, he finally shifted his footing, steadily positioning himself at the cliff’s edge, not moving an inch.

The Haiguang Sword was suddenly thrown up by him. Qu Zhengfeng abandoned his sword, placing both hands before him. As his palms turned, a spiritual power vortex seemed to form between his rotating palms.

The originally overwhelming huge shadow was drawn by this vortex formed by his dual palm force, the moment it collided.

Initially, it was slow, like a clay ox entering the sea.

However, in just the blink of an eye, that vortex expanded like a storm, accepting all comers, opening its bloody maw to devour everything!

Jian Chou couldn’t stand steady and seemed to be drawn by this vortex, falling toward his palms!

Qu Zhengfeng suddenly frowned.

On Jian Chou’s face, he saw not a trace of panic!

She had come prepared!

Jian Chou had never thought that when facing Qu Zhengfeng, who was two major realms above her, she could succeed with one strike.

So her follow-up move was already prepared.

The battle disc on her hand had disappeared the instant she delivered the Heaven-Overturning Seal palm.

But at this moment, brilliant light blazed before Qu Zhengfeng’s eyes!

Jian Chou lifted her leg, her outward-bent knee suddenly crashing forward!

The battle disc bloomed the instant she lifted her leg and crashed forward!

Brilliant and dazzling!

This was the advantage of the Heavenly Void Body.

Dao Seals that ordinary people could only execute with their hands could be performed by Jian Chou with hands, feet, or even her head—anywhere meridians were distributed, anywhere that could accommodate the trajectory of a Dao Seal, she could execute it.

Such as—

The Heaven-Overturning Seal at this moment!

A knee shot forward!

After the first strike’s expected failure, Jian Chou had already calculated Qu Zhengfeng’s reaction, which led to this seamless second Heaven-Overturning Seal attack!

The same shadow!

The same unhesitating attack!

Qu Zhengfeng’s hands were still executing that vortex.

The Haiguang Sword, thrown high, had not yet fallen. At this moment, Qu Zhengfeng seemed certain to lose!

Jian Chou felt her heart finally calm.

However…

At this moment, at this instant when she seemed certain of victory, she saw a smile cross the face of Qu Zhengfeng, who was getting closer and closer!

It was a mocking smile, laughing at an ant trying to shake a tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating one’s abilities!

Before Jian Chou could detect the change, she felt a tremendous force suddenly crash hard against her knee!

Boom!

Huge air waves rolled outward, sweeping away the debris and dust from Return-to-Sheath Peak!

It was Qu Zhengfeng who had similarly crashed forward with his knee!

In that instant, Jian Chou almost heard the sound of her knee shattering.

Undoubtedly, this wasn’t a fighting style suitable for female cultivators—too cold, too hard, too domineering!

However, when striking out with a knee, there was an exhilarating feeling.

But being struck by someone else was equally exhilarating!

Jian Chou felt like she had hit an iron plate, the pain drilling into her heart.

She could even see Qu Zhengfeng’s expression, smiling brightly.

Bang!

The tremendous impact force finally sent Jian Chou flying backward.

By unfortunate coincidence, the direction she flew was exactly where the “Yashan Sword” scabbard was located.

Her entire back crashed directly into the stone scabbard, no different from hitting a hard pillar.

Jian Chou felt her blood and qi churning inside her body. The spiritual energy that had originally been circulating in her “meridians” scattered throughout her body after this vicious impact, unable to condense again.

Turning sideways, Qu Zhengfeng looked at Jian Chou, who had tumbled to the ground covered in dust, looking utterly bedraggled.

Jian Chou struggled to lift her head, looking at Qu Zhengfeng standing in place.

“This is all your ability, isn’t it?”

His calm voice was as tranquil as his current expression.

Jian Chou couldn’t understand: “How could…”

Jian Chou was very clear about the attack power of the Heaven-Overturning Seal.

Even if Qu Zhengfeng was a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator, he shouldn’t be completely unaffected, even able to directly counter-attack with a knee, instantly breaking all her attacks and defenses!

Too strong, strong to the point of being abnormal!

“You want to know why?”

Qu Zhengfeng walked forward two steps. At this time, the Haiguang Sword he had thrown earlier finally fell, and he caught it with an extended hand.

Jian Chou stared at him fixedly.

Qu Zhengfeng curved his lips, turned his wrist, and held the Haiguang Sword in reverse, directly piercing through his left palm!

One sword through the left palm!

Shocking to behold!

Jian Chou looked at him in alarm.

However, Qu Zhengfeng seemed to feel no pain at all. Blood flowed from his palm, but not much.

He slowly withdrew the Haiguang Sword, and the huge wound in his palm healed rapidly the moment the sword was withdrawn.

Soon, this terrifying wound had completely disappeared.

Only a small amount of blood that had dripped to the ground could show that he had once pierced his palm with a sword.

This…

What was this…

Jian Chou stared in a daze.

Qu Zhengfeng looked up at her, smiling, “My physical strength is a hundred times that of cultivators at the same realm. Your Heaven-Overturning Seal strike cannot harm me in the slightest.”

Cultivators generally cultivated their hearts and power, but few practiced body cultivation.

What Qu Zhengfeng had been doing for these one hundred thirty years without advancing a single step, only he knew.

He slowly walked forward, one step, two steps, his footsteps gradually approaching.

Jian Chou was in pain all over, desperately trying to get up from the dust-covered ground, but couldn’t.

She raised her head and could only see Qu Zhengfeng’s swaying robe hem and blurred expression.

Was he preparing to kill her?

Jian Chou was somewhat confused. Speaking was extremely difficult, and she even coughed twice.

“You… cough! …What exactly do you want to do?”

“Just to tell you that you’re not qualified to be Yashan’s Big Senior Sister.”

A simple, calm, even cold statement.

The moment Qu Zhengfeng spoke, Jian Chou was completely stunned.

She remembered little fatty Jianghe’s fear of Qu Zhengfeng, sword-loving Shen Jiu’s rare challenges to Qu Zhengfeng and his wariness of drawing swords against him, Fudao Shanren’s conflicted love-hate when mentioning Qu Zhengfeng, and Tao Zhang’s envy when speaking of Qu Zhengfeng’s one hundred thirty years at Nascent Soul Peak…

Yashan’s Big Senior Sister?

Yashan’s Big Senior Brother?

She suddenly became confused, confusion appearing in her eyes.

Qu Zhengfeng stood before the bedraggled her, looking down at her from above.

“What qualifications do you have to be called Big Senior Sister?”

“Compared to your junior brothers, do you have sufficient ability? You can’t even defeat me.”

“If you are the Big Senior Sister, you should be stronger than them, more ruthless than them, care for them, suppress them, and protect them. You should be a great tree for everyone, not a pearl held in their palms.”

“The Big Senior Brother, or Big Senior Sister, has always been a cheap life. The dirty, tiring, and bitter work should all be done by them…”

…

Sentence by sentence, striking at Jian Chou’s heart.

She stared at Qu Zhengfeng in bewilderment.

Qu Zhengfeng also looked down at her, his eyes hiding indescribable emotions.

“It’s just that Little Junior Sister’s ‘Big Senior Sister’ position came too easily, too preciously.”

Came too preciously.

Little Junior Sister’s Big Senior Sister…

Truly a modifier full of sarcasm.

Jian Chou’s fingers gradually clenched. In her chest, something seemed to be accumulating, surging.

However, Qu Zhengfeng’s gaze at her remained calm and indifferent.

“Not convinced?”

“Not convinced.” Jian Chou said through gritted teeth.

In that instant, Qu Zhengfeng smiled.

He had seen it long ago…

An gentle nature, but more stubborn than anyone in her bones.

“If you’re not convinced, I’ll beat you until you are.”

“…”

Jian Chou was silent for a long while, recalling the scenes from the recent battle. She truly felt powerless, but at the same time, she felt a tremendous sense of humiliation. This wasn’t what she liked, nor what she wanted.

Only when being severely beaten down did she discover that she indeed had such a competitive nature.

She didn’t want to fail, didn’t want to be denied by others!

Slowly lifting her head, she looked directly at him: “What if you can’t beat me into submission?”

Can’t beat into submission?

Ha.

This was the first time a newly initiated person dared to speak to him this way.

Qu Zhengfeng laughed once, then laughed again, as if he had heard something absurd.

“If you have the ability, then beat me into submission. But before that, when we meet privately, you must call me ‘Big Senior Brother.'”

“…”

Big Senior Brother…

These three words circled on her tongue, bringing an indescribable complexity.

Jian Chou didn’t react for quite a while.

Qu Zhengfeng casually turned the Haiguang Sword, dark blue light flashing as he glanced coolly at Jian Chou.

“Still lying there refusing to get up? Do you want me to help you?”