Chapter Thirteen: Su Li’s New Technique

Su Li immediately became alert. After a moment’s thought, she instructed Azure Bird, “If anyone makes a move, just breathe fire at them.”

Azure Bird quivered its wings in excitement. It was determined to prove its newfound strength to its master and to the leader of their group, eager to show off its progress after advancing to a higher level.

Their adversaries arrived quickly. There were four of them in total, and to Su Li’s surprise, each one had reached the Golden Core stage.

Shen Luo’s expression changed. He discreetly drew a dagger from his spirit ring and gripped it tightly in his palm.

Although the newcomers were dressed as ordinary Shen family warriors, their disguises were riddled with flaws.

Only upon reaching the Golden Core stage did one truly step through the gateway of cultivation. At this point, the internal arcane energy would condense into a small, round bead within the body, akin to the beast core of a demonic beast. Depending on innate talent, these beads varied in color—silvery white, scarlet yellow, or golden—their grades ranking from low to high, reflecting the vast differences in potential and enlightenment.

Though the Shen family was considered a major clan, cultivators at the Golden Core stage were exceedingly rare across the entire cultivation realm, let alone martial artists who walked the path of the sword. Most martial artists were born with low status, often slaves or commoners, serving as guards within clans or sects. However, once a martial artist advanced to the Golden Core stage, their status would soar, their family would favor them, and they would gain an endless supply of cultivation resources.

Thus, a martial artist at the Golden Core stage would never again wear the uniform that marked them as a guard or slave.

That meant these individuals before them could have no good intentions.

Shen Luo’s brow furrowed tightly. With his current ability, he could perhaps handle one Golden Core cultivator—but four?

“Master,” Azure Bird warned, sensing the shift in the air, and immediately spat a ball of fire at the approaching assassins. The divine fire of a Phoenix, wielded by a Vermillion Bird descendant at the Bone Refining stage, was as thick as an arm and swept across the assassin’s face in an instant.

A piercing scream shattered the silence of the night.

Azure Bird unleashed flame after flame. Although its combat skills were unrefined, the divine fire was potent enough to force the assassins back a full ten feet.

But it only stalled them for half the time it would take an incense stick to burn. The assassins drew their swords, and sharp sword-lights slashed through the air, coming straight for them.

Su Li seized the moment, sending a surge of arcane power at the sword slashing in from the side. The sword’s trajectory skewed, but the blade of air still sheared off a brilliant feather from Azure Bird’s tail.

Su Li cursed inwardly. Azure Bird always treasured the feathers on its tail, grooming them a dozen times a day. Now, it might fly into a rage—just as the attackers hoped.

Sure enough, Azure Bird immediately aimed its flames at the assailant’s face. The relentless barrage left the attacker defenseless, but the distraction gave the other assassins their chance.

“Tiger Soul, let Luo practice first. Step in only if he can’t handle it,” Su Li instructed. She wanted Shen Luo to gain experience, as did she and Azure Bird. Only real combat could bring swift growth.

Holding her breath, she scanned the three before her, then lunged at the one whose aura was the most formidable—a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Her body, now infused with spiritual energy, moved with newfound lightness. Su Li dodged the sword thrust at her, spun, and pushed off the ground with her hind legs, launching herself at the man’s face. Arcane energy gathered at her claws, and before her opponent could react, she slashed without mercy.

Her claws tore through flesh and scored four bloody lines across his bone. Using his head as a springboard, she leapt a full arm’s length away.

“Damn cat, I’ll kill you!” The assassin’s left cheek burned, blood trickling down his chin and soaking his clothes. Overcome by pain and rage, his attacks grew even fiercer, forcing Su Li to retreat repeatedly.

Each swordsman had their own style, and as Su Li dodged, she observed keenly. Whether it was because she now had a beast’s body, every sword move the assassin made seemed to slow down before her eyes.

Gradually, she began to discern the trajectory of each strike, the fierce, elegant beauty beneath the sword’s edge.

A shock ran through her: for the first time, Su Li felt a longing for the sword and the path it represented.

Clearly, this assassin had only scratched the surface. He had yet to find his own way as a swordsman.

Within the spirit rune stone, Tiger Soul watched with relish, unable to suppress a gloating satisfaction at the sight of the assassin’s impending defeat. It wondered if perhaps it had simply been bullied by that formidable being for far too long.

As the fight reached its climax, Su Li smiled slightly, the totem on her forehead growing ever more vivid. She unleashed several arcane blades to break up her opponent’s rhythm, then charged forward with renewed force.

The assassin frantically tried to block, but his sword found only empty air. No—perhaps the beast dodged every attack by a hair’s breadth.

A chilling thought crept into his mind: Had this feline creature deciphered his sword style? No, it was just a monster…

He didn’t have time to finish the thought. Su Li was upon him, her eyes mocking, and in an instant, her sharp claws ripped open his throat.

The assassin crashed to the ground, disbelief frozen in his wide, lifeless eyes.

“Too—too ruthless,” Tiger Soul muttered, shrinking back. For the first time, it realized how gentle this formidable being had been with it and Azure Bird.

Blood coated Su Li’s claws, and she looked at them with distaste. Glancing left, she saw Azure Bird still locked in battle and called out, “Stupid bird, try to condense and compress your flame inward—aim for his eyes.”

A light dawned on Azure Bird. Following her advice, it found its fire grew stronger, instantly destroying one of the opponent’s eyes. Giddy with excitement, it pressed the attack.

Tiger Soul’s worldview was shaken to its core, leaving it mired in self-doubt. Had it really slept so long that, after countless millennia, the cultivators of this world now favored such underhanded tactics? Should it adjust its approach as well?

Unknowingly, Su Li had influenced both beasts. Seeing Shen Luo struggling, she jumped in to help, still in the throes of battle.

This was Shen Luo’s first real fight. Compared to the two spirit beasts, the youth was in sorry shape—his body covered in wounds, though he’d already used his cunning to seriously injure one enemy. As another sword thrust toward him and he seemed unable to dodge, the assassin suddenly let out a scream as a white blur knocked him to the ground.

Shen Luo had always known the furball was strong, but watching her handle the assassin with such ease sparked his own competitive spirit. Yet before he could act, Su Li had already slit the man’s throat with a single swipe.

The air was thick with the stench of blood.

Su Li approached him, placing her two paws on the tips of his shoes, then looked up at him stubbornly.

Shen Luo immediately understood her meaning. The furball was always fastidious; last time, after fighting the serpent demon, she’d been disgusted for ages—let alone with all four paws now stained with blood. Smiling wryly, he picked Su Li up, letting her wipe her bloodied claws on his robe—which was hardly clean to begin with.

As Su Li rested on his shoulder, she wondered: if, at that moment, Shen Luo had shown even the slightest hint of fear or rebuke, what would she have done? Perhaps, even at the risk of her own destruction, she would have severed their soul contract.

Azure Bird quickly finished its own battle, flapping its round, chubby body over to Su Li for praise. “Sister Leader, wasn’t I amazing?”

“You’re hopeless,” Su Li replied with disdain, but still reached out to scratch the top of its head with a paw.

Azure Bird flapped its wings proudly, “Next time, I’ll do even better.”

Watching the two spirit beasts interact, Shen Luo touched his nose and ignored the twinge of jealousy in his chest. At least, he thought, he didn’t have to worry about their relationship anymore.

He still had some focus and replenishment pills in his spirit ring, so he tossed a few into his mouth. After sitting in meditation for a while and regaining his strength, he took out a spirit herb he’d found in the secret realm.

He walked over to the sole surviving assassin, crushed the herb, and stuffed it into the man’s mouth.

Who knew if the soul-muddling grass written about in the books would take effect or not?