She moved with lightning speed, her body disappearing and reappearing between the flaming projectiles. Her sword sliced through the air with lethal precision, cleanly severing a lance aid at her throat.
Kang snickered.
"The loser is the one who has no honor."
As Qinling parried an attack, he appeared behind her, his lance thrusting straight toward her flank.
She pivoted, but not fast enough.
The sharp tip pierced her left rib, tearing through flesh in an explosion of flas.
A muffled cry escaped her.
But instead of retreating, she clenched her jaws and pushed forward, forcing the lance deeper...
With a swift movent, she raised her knee, striking Kang squarely in the chest.
The impact resonated like thunder.
Winded, Kang staggered back, instinctively withdrawing his lance. Blackened blood from the flas flowed down Qinling’s wound.
She ignored it.
Her eyes lit up with a murderous gleam.
Her sword vibrated, pulsing along the blade. She lunged at Kang with terrifying speed.
Her blade struck in a series of flashing blows, slicing through the air with relentless force.
Kang, despite his speed, was forced to retreat, parrying each strike just in ti.
But she was too fast.
A diagonal slash opened a gash on his arm.
A thrust pierced his shoulder.
A reversed strike tore away a lock of his flaming hair.
Kang growled, pushing Qinling back with a powerful flap of his wings.
But barely had she touched the ground when his soldiers descended upon her.
They attacked in perfect coordination, their lances tracing deadly arcs.
She spun on her heel, her sword forming a perfect circle, shattering one lance with a backhand, dodging the second with a fluid step, then striking with thunderous power.
The first soldier was thrown back, his chest slashed to the bone, exposing his sternum.
The second lost a hand.
But the others continued to attack, relentless.
Kang seized the opening.
He leaped, the air warping around him.
His attack shot straight at Qinling. She barely had ti to raise her sword.
The impact shook the entire desert. But strangely, the effects of the battle were felt all around, except for one tent still standing.
A crater ford beneath their feet, cracks spreading for several ters.
Qinling was thrown backward, rolling in the sand.
Kang landed heavily, breath short.
But a victorious smile twisted his lips.
"You’re strong, Qinling. But you’re alone. And I..."
He spread his arms.
"I am an heir of the Phoenix!"
He gestured with his hand.
His soldiers, though diminished, rose and resud their positions.
Qinling, breathless, clenched her fists.
Her flank bled profusely, but she rose without trembling. Her gaze remained cold, still proud, even as pain pulsed through her flesh.
In the void, Hu Zhen clenched his teeth. He wanted to intervene, but that would only complicate matters. Kang Feng remained a mber of an ancestral family, and if he died by his hand, it could spark a war. He could only flee with his sister. Just as he was about to interfere, a playful voice rose from inside the still-standing tent.
"You? The heir! Hahaha! Don’t make laugh, Kang."
Before he could understand, his head was brutally pressed into the sand by a bare foot.
"Not only do you usurp my title, but you sha us, Kang."
She sighed, pressing harder, carefully crushing his cheek against the ground. Qinling, still panting, watched the scene with an expression torn between surprise and frustration. She recognized the voice, though her appearance had changed greatly over the years.
Kang, however, didn’t dare raise his head. Unlike her, he knew this cousin all too well and knew that, though playful, she was feared throughout their lineage.
"You were here too!" Qinling frowned, gripping her sword.
The woman straightened with an amused smile. She had pale skin, long hair of burning red, partially pulled into a bun decorated with a purple ornant. She wore a long black dress with a subtle texture at the chest, as well as a large, flowing cloak of the sa color, covering her shoulders. A discreet phoenix motif was woven into the fabric. Golden bracelets glead at her ankles, and she floated above the burning sand.
Her expression remained playful as she looked at Qinling with a sparkling gleam in her eyes.
"Hey!"
Without warning, she jumped at her, wrapping her arms around her and rubbing her cheek against Qinling’s with enthusiasm.
"You’ve grown! He he he!"
"Uh... If you could let go." Qinling struggled slightly, uncomfortable.
"No."
"What do you an, no?"
"Little one, you were so cute, and now you’re acting all grown up, Ling’er?"
She finally released her. Unlike Kang, who oozed perversity, this woman was simply affectionate and exuberant. Qinling had always known her this way, but after so many years, this familiarity unsettled her a bit.
"I’m glad to see you too, big sister Ruoxi."
"He he he. Your cultivation hasn’t improved much lately."
Ruoxi began to float slightly above the ground, observing Qinling from all angles with a pensive air.
Qinling sighed. "I’ve fallen behind. Unlike you, I’m still at the Nascent Soul stage."
"Ah~ you noticed! I’ve grown stronger."
"Yeah... so, what realm are you in exactly?"
"He he, it’s a secret ~"
Qinling clicked her tongue, taking out an elixir to heal her wounds.
Ruoxi crossed her arms and watched her silently. Then, after a mont, she continued, her tone more serious.
"And you, how are you? I suppose his death really affected you?"
Qinling paused for a mont before drinking the elixir.
"Ah... I really don’t want to talk about it."
"Hm... I understand. You know, maybe he is—"
"Don’t justify that bastard’s actions!"
Ruoxi lowered her eyes.
"I still apologize for him."
"You always do that... After all he’s done to you, how can you still love him?"
Ruoxi smiled sadly. Qinling watched her walk away, feeling a simring anger rise within her.
"I don’t know."
"You should think about breaking off the engagent. It would be for your own good."
Ruoxi didn’t respond, rely averting her gaze. Then she fixed her eyes on Kang, who was examining his wounds.
"Kang, give Ling’er the peaches you have left. It’ll cheer her up."
"What? But—"
Ruoxi shot him a sidelong glance with a smirk.
"Are you sure you want the Matriarch to learn that you’re causing trouble for the Hu ancestral family?"
Kang paled.
"..."
"Do you want to be responsible for a fight between the Black Phoenix and the Liminal Predator?"
"... No."
He clenched his teeth but reluctantly complied.
Ruoxi, satisfied, then turned her attention to a specific point in the void, her smile widening.
"Brother Hu Zhen, you can co out. I’ve felt your gaze piercing Kang’s back for a while now."
A mont later, a figure materialized a few ters away.
Hu Zhen stepped forward, his piercing eyes scrutinizing Ruoxi with a hint of admiration.
"Barely two decades and you can already detect in the void. You’re truly talented, Ruoxi."
"He he, you’re wrong. I just know that if my younger sister is around, her overprotective big brother can’t be far."
She shot him a sarcastic glance.
Hu Zhen didn’t respond, but an imperceptible sigh escaped his lips.
As requested, Kang handed the three peaches to Qinling, who nodded before taking flight.
Ruoxi followed imdiately.
"Are you also going to Celestial Mountain?"
"Yes, the Imperial Prince says there are traces of the Devourer."
"Good, then I’ll co too."
Qinling looked at her for a mont, then nodded.
In the sky, under the twilight glow, the three figures disappeared over the horizon, leaving behind Kang, venting his anger on his wounded subjects, his cheek still marked by the imprint of the Phoenix Heiress, Ruoxi Feng.
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