Facing the kneeling cultivator begging for mercy, Zhu Qiniang remained indifferent.
She glanced at Gao Xian and said, "It's your turn to make a move."
Gao Xian hurriedly declined, "Please, after you."
The cultivator, thin and dark, dressed in tattered brown clothes, hesitated to act.
Zhu Qiniang understood now.
Gao Xian was passive and needed a strong reason to be willing to kill.
She said, "Don't be swayed by his pitiful appearance. The Red Snake Gang is notorious for hunting down other cultivators in the mountains. Every member of the Red Snake Gang deserves death."
"Eliminating them is just and righteous, ridding the people of harm."
Gao Xian knew Qiniang wouldn't deceive him.
However, he struggled to strike a kneeling beggar.
"You," Zhu Qiniang sighed.
She addressed the kneeling cultivator, "You don't need to pretend to be pitiful."
Pointing at Gao Xian, she continued, "If you can withstand ten moves from him, I will spare you."
The thin, dark cultivator, now standing, cautiously stepped back and drew his long sword, activating a Wood Shield Talisman.
In front of his left hand, a half-human-sized green light shield materialized.
The circular shield shimmered with intricate runes, transparent and agile, floating in front of the cultivator.
"Look, he can afford to use a Wood Shield Talisman. He must be quite wealthy," Zhu Qiniang remarked to Gao Xian.
Reminding him, she said, "Battle is perilous. A single misstep could cost you your life. I may not be able to save you in time if you hesitate or show mercy. You must use all your strength to defeat your opponent, for any hesitation is a disregard for your own life."
Gao Xian's expression turned serious and silent.
Indeed, four cultivator corpses lay around them, blood and flesh scattered on the ground.
He considered it a sparring match, but the other party clearly did not share the same sentiment.
Cautiously, Gao Xian also activated his Wood Shield.
Instead of a talisman, he used the Wood Shield embedded in his Azure Wood Armor.
The Azure Wood Armor was a high-grade first-tier spiritual tool, capable of summoning four Wood Shields at once.
Facing a mid-level Qi cultivation stage cultivator, Gao Xian felt it unnecessary to go all out, summoning only one Wood Shield.
Despite both using Wood Shields, Gao Xian's shield appeared denser and more substantial than his opponent's.
While the opponent's shield emitted a green light, Gao Xian's shield resembled a translucent green glass.
Seeing Gao Xian's shield, the thin cultivator felt a mix of surprise and envy.
This young man, though lacking in cultivation, possessed such a high-grade spiritual tool.
However, possessing a spiritual tool was futile in combat; this young man was far inferior in actual fighting skills.
The thin cultivator lunged forward, his attack fierce and relentless, aiming a powerful thrust at Gao Xian's chest.
In Gao Xian's eyes, the opponent's movements were too slow.
Instead of using his sword, he used his Wood Shield to block the attack.
The round Wood Shield was large enough to cover most of his body with a simple movement.
Controlling the Wood Shield was easy; it could be manipulated by hand or by spiritual consciousness.
Using spiritual consciousness for control was more flexible, but Qi cultivators had limited spiritual consciousness, making it difficult to sustain.
Gao Xian had practiced a few times in private, with Lan Jie's help, finding it effortless to control the Wood Shield with his spiritual consciousness.
As the thin cultivator saw his attack blocked by Gao Xian's Wood Shield, he shifted tactics and forcefully rammed his Wood Shield against Gao Xian.
The collision of the two shields resulted in Gao Xian's Wood Shield remaining steady, while the thin cultivator's shield rippled like water, clearly inferior.
Anticipating this, the thin cultivator knew that his talisman-activated Wood Shield could not match Gao Xian's spiritual tool.
Taking advantage of the clash, he swiftly lowered his body and aimed a sword strike at Gao Xian's legs.
This move was both sinister and unexpected, catching Gao Xian off guard.
However, the issue remained that while the opponent's cultivation level was higher, he lacked significantly in speed.
The treacherous leg sweep in Gao Xian's eyes appeared to slow down, making the opponent's crouching attack seem somewhat comical.
Gao Xian used his spiritual consciousness to lower the Wood Shield, simultaneously taking a step back.
The primary goal was to prevent the Wood Shield from being shattered and to maintain a safe distance.
The Wood Shield was resilient, sturdy, and slippery.
The thin cultivator's full-force sword strike barely made an impact, nearly causing him to lose grip of his sword.
Feeling something amiss, the thin cultivator realized the challenge of facing someone who could skillfully manipulate the Wood Shield with spiritual consciousness.
He didn't trust Zhu Qiniang and only sought an opportunity to attack her while engaging Gao Xian.
If successful, he could not only save his life but also gain a substantial reward.
After a failed move, the thin cultivator quickly resumed his attack.
This time, he fully unleashed his sword techniques, relentlessly assaulting Gao Xian.
His agility and swordplay were swift and vicious, but Gao Xian's Wood Shield was too large, easily blocking all his variations.
After dozens of aggressive moves from the thin cultivator, Gao Xian remained unscathed but was already breathing heavily.
The intense swordplay had drained a significant amount of his energy.
Despite his efforts, he couldn't break through Gao Xian's Wood Shield, leaving him frustrated.
A glint of ferocity flashed in the thin cultivator's eyes.
If the fight continued, even without Zhu Qiniang's intervention, he would be worn down by this young man.
As he prepared to strike with his shield again, he slightly raised his left hand, ready to activate a sharp Gold Armor-Piercing Sleeve Arrow aimed at Zhu Qiniang.
The sleeve arrow, only seven inches long, had a triangular blade made of cold iron inscribed with Gold Armor-Piercing runes, designed to penetrate various armors and shields with extreme ferocity.
To enhance its lethality, he coated the arrowhead with the venom of a Five-Step Snake.
A mere scratch could be fatal, sealing the opponent's fate.
As the thin cultivator raised his hand, Gao Xian sensed trouble and swiftly countered with a sword strike.
In a flash of cold light, the thin cultivator's Wood Shield shattered silently into flowing fragments, his wrist severed by the sword strike.
The sleeve arrow, yet to be released, broke into two pieces under the blade.
"What a swift sword!" The thin cultivator exclaimed in shock, unable to discern how Gao Xian had executed the strike, only seeing the gleaming cold sword light.
How could this early-stage Qi cultivator be so formidable?
Before he could comprehend, Gao Xian's next move, the Clear Wind Brushing Willow, elegantly swept upwards, slicing off the thin cultivator's head.
This move was a technique from the Clear Wind Sword Art, gentle and effortless, not requiring much force.
Gao Xian had previously considered this move playful and unsuitable for combat until he reached the mastery level with his Lightning Dragon Subduing Hand, understanding the essence of the technique lay in the rapid and concealed force application in the wrist and elbow.
This allowed him to maintain a composed and graceful posture, creating the illusion of a light and gentle sword strike.
With a light brush, the thin cultivator's head was severed.
Gao Xian didn't dwell on the act of killing, merely finding the thin cultivator's treachery despicable.
Seeing the gruesome scene, he felt a bit uneasy and out of habit, felt compelled to explain, "Uh, I didn't mean to..."
The severed head rolled far away on the ground, showing no signs of forgiveness towards Gao Xian.
Zhu Qiniang calmly patted Gao Xian's shoulder, comforting him, "It's alright. You'll get used to it."
She then praised sincerely, "What a swift sword. Look at how cleanly his head was severed, impressive..."
(End of Chapter)