Xu Ming’s entire body was embedded into the rock. The stone bore a human-shaped imprint left by him.
In contrast to the hardness of the stone behind Xu Ming, there was the softness of the woman in front of him.
As Xu Ming and the woman remained dazed, a monstrous beast charged at them, raising its massive paw and swiping directly toward them.
Both Xu Ming and the woman were startled.
Before the woman could react, she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
The next mont, her vision spun.
When her sight steadied again, a man’s face appeared right in front of her.
The woman realized what had just happened. She had landed on top of a man, and he had just held her while dodging the beast’s attack, rolling several tis on the grass.
Xu Ming was also looking at the woman beneath him.
The girl seed no older than sixteen or seventeen. Of course, at that age, one was already considered of marriageable age in the mortal world.
She was exceptionally beautiful, no less than Mo Zhuer and the others. However, there was sothing cold about her deanor. From her expression alone, she exuded an air of aloofness—like the sharp chill of a sword.
“Roar!”
The beast stomped down toward Xu Ming and the woman.
The two rolled on the grass a few more tis before separating.
Despite the suggestive proximity of their earlier interaction, neither had the luxury to feel embarrassed in the face of life and death.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Ming and the woman, each wielding a longsword, struck at the beast together!
It was then that Xu Ming finally got a good look at the creature.
The beast was a tiger, but it could stand on two legs. Its head was enormous, resembling a character Xu Ming had seen in a ga in his past life—the Tiger Head Sovereign. However, its tusks were long and curved, akin to elephant tusks.
“Roar!”
With an enraged bellow, the beast unleashed a shockwave of sound, sending both Xu Ming and the woman flying.
The two flipped mid-air before landing steadily on their feet.
The mont they steadied themselves, they simultaneously stepped forward, charging at the beast again.
Both Xu Ming and the woman were agile. Every ti they dodged the beast’s attacks, their swords left fresh wounds on its body.
The tiger grew increasingly agitated. With a mighty leap, it raised both fists and hamred them toward Xu Ming.
Xu Ming could have dodged, but he chose not to.
Crimson blood energy coiled around his body, and martial qi condensed around his fists.
“Boom!”
Xu Ming launched a punch, eting the beast’s strike head-on.
The impact created a three-ter-wide crater centered around Xu Ming.
The giant tiger froze in shock.
How could such a small two-legged creature withstand its strike? The concept was beyond the beast’s comprehension.
“Clang!”
At that exact mont, the woman seized an opportunity, thrusting her sword toward the beast’s heart.
She managed to strike, but not completely.
The sword penetrated about a fifth of the way before the beast grabbed it with its massive paw, slapping at the woman.
Xu Ming quickly stepped in, smashing a fist into the beast’s paw and forcing it away!
He followed with another punch, aiming for the tiger’s jaw, but the beast tilted its head back, narrowly dodging the blow.
Xu Ming’s fist smashed into the beast’s tusks, shattering one of them completely.
The powerful martial qi radiating from Xu Ming’s body left Xu Xuenuo slightly stunned.
“This young martial artist is incredibly strong!”
It was a simple thought that surfaced in Xu Xuenuo’s mind.
Over the years, she had fought countless opponents, yet those who could leave her with such an impression were few and far between.
Xu Ming leaped up, stepping on the beast’s head and using it as leverage to jump even higher.
His eyes glead with a fierce light, his fighting spirit fully ignited. With both hands gripping his longsword, he slashed down toward the beast’s head with trendous force.
The sword in Xu Ming’s hand was surrounded by a vast and overwhelming sword energy. The energy solidified into a wave of sword qi, surging like a tidal wave that engulfed the beast’s head entirely.
‘The Qinghai (Azure Sea) Sword Technique from the North Sea Dragon Palace? Is he from the North Sea? When did people from the North Sea start attending Tianxuan Sect’s ceremonies?’
Xu Xuenuo felt as though she had figured out his identity.
But the very next mont, her confidence faltered again.
She noticed traces of the Bingyang Sword Technique in his moves!
‘Wait… is he a disciple of the Wanjian Sect? When did the Wanjian Sect produce such a formidable disciple? Why didn’t I know about this?’
“Miss!”
Just as Xu Xuenuo was lost in thought, Xu Ming’s loud voice snapped her back to reality.
Xu Ming was exasperated.
What’s with this girl?
How could she zone out in the middle of a fight?
At a ti like this, who has the luxury to daydream?
Fortunately, Xu Xuenuo quickly recovered her composure.
Taking advantage of the mont when Xu Ming’s sword qi completely enveloped the beast, Xu Xuenuo focused her mind on her own sword.
Step by step, she advanced toward the beast.
Xu Ming felt he was witnessing a bizarre sight.
The girl’s body appeared slightly translucent, almost ghost-like, yet her presence was undeniably real.
As she drew near the beast, she suddenly leaped into the air and passed directly through its chest!
When Xu Xuenuo landed, her body gradually beca solid again, no longer as ethereal.
anwhile, the beast’s chest now had a gaping hole, its heart completely shredded into pulp by sword qi!
“Boom!”
The beast collapsed with a thunderous crash, its life extinguished completely.
Xu Ming sheathed his sword, his eyes fixed on the girl standing with her back to him.
He couldn’t figure out what sword technique she had used.
In fact, he wondered whether he could have withstood such a move himself—or whether he would have ended up like the beast.
“Huff…”
The girl turned around, exhaling deeply. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her chest heaved with the effort of her breathing.
It was clear that the move had taken a heavy toll on her.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice steady as she clasped her sword and bowed slightly toward Xu Ming.
“You’re too kind,” Xu Ming replied with a polite bow of his own.
“May I ask for your na, fellow cultivator?” Xu Xuenuo inquired.
“My surna is Xu, and my given na is Ming,” Xu Ming answered.
Xu Xuenuo stared at him blankly. “What did you say your na is?”
“Xu Ming,” he repeated.
Xu Xuenuo bit her lip, her expression tense. “Are you the Xu Ming from the Wu Kingdom, the one on the Qingyun Rankings?”
“That’s ,” Xu Ming nodded. “May I ask for your na, miss?”
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