Chapter 16: Side by Side

Suddenly, an abnormal change occurred!

Boom—

A blast rang out, and the Eight Trigrams Formation was shattered!

Yuan Yao, Cang Li, Weng Mingshu, and the others suffered a backlash and were blown to the ground!

And the Great Sun Burning Heaven Mirror suddenly shrank, falling from the sky with a clang to the ground.

Those dozens of giant pythons were severely wounded by the true fire; they howled in pain and, as if mad, launched attacks in all directions.

Yuan Yao and the others were a thorn in their eyes, and moreover the targets of their attacks!

Yuan Yao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, her vision darkened, and seeing several giant pythons lunging at her, she forced herself to stand up quickly.

Several attacks came at once!

Yuan Yao instantly formed seals to defend, but it was useless; her whole body was blasted away by the python's force, with a bang she hit the wall and rolled on the ground several times.

At the same time, a python's tail whipped over like lightning and in an instant tightly coiled around Yuan Yao.

The python's tail kept constricting, making Yuan Yao feel as if her whole body were pressed by a mountain, nearly suffocating her.

"Phantom Spirit!" Yuan Yao shouted.

In that instant, the long sword buried in the ground buzzed out and shot toward the python's tail at extreme speed.

Swish—

The python's tail was cleanly severed by that hideous-looking long sword, and the python's body split in two!

Freed from the bonds, Yuan Yao slumped to the ground, and the Phantom Spirit Sword returned to her side.

Suddenly, she felt warmth at the tip of her nose; she reached up and found her hand covered in blood.

The surrounding sounds fluctuated between faint and loud, giving her a severe sense of weightlessness; her mind went blank, her vision darkened, she lowered her head and panted like a dying fish.

So tired, so painful, I just want to sleep…

In a haze, she heard someone calling her name.

"Yuan Yao…"

"Yao Yao…"

Cang Li saw his usually pampered junior sister covered in blood, sitting in the midst of the giant pythons, while those pythons had already aimed their bloody maws at her.

His heart leapt to his throat.

"Careful—"

Cang Li exerted all his strength to push his speed to the limit, hoping to flash to his junior sister's side.

But he was still a moment too late.

The lead python opened its mouth and swallowed Yuan Yao's whole body.

"Junior sister!"

But in the next instant, the lead python's body suddenly exploded, turning into minced meat in a heartbeat, while Yuan Yao, who had been swallowed, was now enveloped by a circle of light.

Seeing this, Cang Li breathed a sigh of relief after surviving the disaster.

Good, this girl didn't deceive him.

The master really placed a life-saving charm on her.

Enveloped in the light circle, Yuan Yao gradually regained consciousness; she lifted her head and saw a cultivator before her being cruelly torn apart and swallowed by the python.

Blood spattered, flesh and blood blurred.

Yuan Yao's face instantly turned grave; recalling her recent ordeal, she realized that without the life-saving charm her master gave her, she would likely have died.

She increasingly realized that in battle, circumstances change in an instant.

Hesitate for a second, falter for a moment, and you die!

Since she chose the path of cultivation, chose to grow strong to protect her sect, she should muster the necessary resolve!

She reached out and firmly grasped her own life-bound sword.

Either win or die!

Yuan Yao stood up again and locked eyes with the arriving Cang Li.

"Third Senior Brother…"

Cang Li said nothing, shoved the retrieved Great Sun Burning Heaven Mirror into her hand, then pinched her cheeks and poured the Healing Wound Pill into her mouth.

He said coldly, "Yuan Yao, once you draw the bow there's no turning back—are you ready to fight side by side with me?"

"Ready." Yuan Yao's eyes were firm.

Cang Li's heart stirred.

Their junior sister seemed to have truly grown up…

Cang Li turned, spear in hand, and analyzed: "These giant pythons are already heavily wounded; they're no great threat. We'll outlast them!"

Yuan Yao walked to Cang Li's side, Phantom Spirit Sword in hand, and said, "Good."

The two senior siblings exchanged a glance, then charged forward.

They fought side by side.

"Carefree First Form—"

"Lifting Sword to Equal Heaven!"

"Thunderflame Spear!"

Meanwhile, Yan Haonan, Weng Mingshu, and the others roamed among the giant pythons, constantly contending with them.

At that moment, Lin Jingtao, who had been watching the show, silently put away his silver needles, for he discovered that Yuan Yao actually bore a life‑saving charm, and the one who gave it must be the Carefree Sect's Third Elder, Qian Jueshan!

If he really killed Yuan Yao, Qian Jueshan would surely be able to trace it back to him!

He dared not provoke Qian Jueshan.

After all, Qian Jueshan is the number one sword cultivator of the Ninth Province, with an unfathomable cultivation level.

And the Carefree Sect rose from an eighteenth-rate sect to a first-rate sect precisely because of Qian Jueshan's existence.

In the Ninth Province, who dares to provoke Qian Jueshan!

He knew Cang Li was Qian Jueshan's third disciple, but he wasn't clear on Yuan Yao's true identity. He thought Yuan Yao was just an ordinary junior sister of the Carefree Sect, after all her cultivation was so low; looking back now……

She is the Carefree Sect's junior sister who is showered with countless affection.

She is also the disciple whom Qian Jueshan guards most tightly and securely.

No wonder she possesses a high-grade magical artifact!

Lin Jingtao felt a lingering fear just thinking about it; fortunately he didn't act! Otherwise, he would not only die, but also have his soul scattered and suffer a fate worse than death!

…

Half an hour later.

Most of the giant pythons had already been slain, and the remaining giant pythons sensed danger, actually turning and burrowing into a darker place.

Originally Weng Mingshu wanted to pursue, but Yan Haonan stopped her.

"Do not pursue a desperate foe."

"But..." Weng Mingshu had just opened her mouth when she fainted.

Yan Haonan's expression changed slightly; he quickly reached out and caught her.

He held Weng Mingshu and strode quickly to Cang Li's side, anxiously asking: "What's wrong with her?"

Cang Li originally didn't want to bother with them, but seeing that they had come down to help, he took Weng Mingshu's pulse.

"It's nothing; she just exhausted too much spiritual and physical energy, causing her to collapse. However, her external injuries are somewhat serious and need treatment."

Yan Haonan frowned, looking at Cang Li.

"Don't look at me; I won't help treat her wounds, lest she say I'm lusting after her beauty." Cang Li clasped his hands together and sighed: "Amitabha, heaven can bear witness, I, Cangaotian, am a person devoid of the seven emotions and six desires."

Yan Haonan: "……"

He silently turned his gaze toward Yuan Yao not far away.

Cang Li directly turned sideways, blocking his line of sight: "Don't harbor designs on my junior sister; she's exhausted and can't move at all."

Yan Haonan saw what, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly: "Didn't you say she couldn't move?"

"She certainly..." Cang Li said while turning his head, and when he saw his own junior sister climbing onto the giant python, grunting as she used her sword to split the python's beast core, his eyelid twitched violently.

Is this still his pampered and lazy junior sister?

"Uh... this counts as a twitch, right."