Chapter 196: Sword Comes

In novels and films, I’d often encountered elves, depicted as the kindest, most beautiful, and most elegant race, leading countless men to fantasize about them.

“What, is there a problem?” Qiao Xueying rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed.

“It’s not that there’s a problem,” Zu An asked curiously, lifting the long hair from her ear, “but why aren’t your ears pointed?”

Qiao Xueying slapped his hand away, her expression darkening.

At that moment, Mi Li’s voice interjected, “Judging by her, she must be a half-elf—a child born of an elf and a human.”

Qiao Xueying’s face grew even paler. Clearly, this fact had always been her deepest pain, causing her to feel ashamed and unable to hold her head high since childhood.

To her surprise, Zu An laughed. “Mixed-bloods are great!” he exclaimed. “They’re often the most beautiful, and their intelligence and aptitude combine the best qualities of both parent races.”

Qiao Xueying was stunned. Everyone who had ever learned her identity before had called her a mongrel. Hearing the term “mixed-blood” for the first time filled her with a profound sense of warmth and relief.

“Thank you,” Qiao Xueying whispered. After all these years, he was the first person not to discriminate against her; instead, he had found so many ways to comfort her.

Zu An chuckled, “No need to thank me. What do you say? How about we team up and have a mixed-blood baby? I guarantee the boys will be dashing and handsome, and the girls will be devastatingly beautiful.”

Qiao Xueying was speechless.

“I take back my previous assessment,” she thought. “This guy is indeed as shameless as ever.”

“If I’m not mistaken,” Mi Li’s mocking voice interjected, “the elves’ ‘Mirror Flower Water Moon’ allows one to escape miles away. Yet, you’re still here. Is it for this shameless man?”

Zu An stared at Qiao Xueying in surprise, who instantly became flustered. “How could I possibly be here for him!” she exclaimed. “Of course, it’s for Miss Chu, who is like a sister to me! Get out of her body right now, or I swear I’ll make your life miserable, even if it costs me my own!”

Hearing her bluster, Mi Li burst out laughing, her mirth causing the underground palace to tremor slightly. After a moment, she abruptly ceased her laughter. “Just you?” she sneered.

Qiao Xueying’s face went pale. From Mi Li’s laughter alone, she could tell the woman’s strength far exceeded her own; she stood no chance against her.

“And me!” Zu An declared, stepping in front of her and gently taking her hand.

Perhaps nearing death made her less reserved, or perhaps it was habit from when they held hands while breaching the three seals, but this time, she didn’t resist his touch. Instead, a sense of peace washed over her.

Mi Li was speechless.

“What good is a Rank Three cultivator like you?” she thought.

Zu An took the opportunity to whisper to Qiao Xueying, “Don’t be afraid. Her strength is greatly diminished because her soul is separated from her body. And since that poison is so potent, if we can just hold out for a while, she might be the one to collapse first.”

Earlier, Qiao Xueying’s Thorny Guardian had been instantly destroyed by Zhang Han, yet just now, it had managed to withstand Mi Li’s sword qi for a moment.

At her peak, Mi Li had rendered Zhang Han virtually helpless.

Qiao Xueying’s eyes widened in realization, and her spirits lifted.

Mi Li snorted coldly. “No need to whisper,” she said, “I can hear you perfectly well. Yes, my strength is indeed greatly diminished, but it’s still more than enough to handle both of you.”

With a flick of her sleeve, sword qi shot forth.

This time, her sword qi wasn’t as concentrated. The two instinctively dodged, quickly separated by the attacks. Then, the scattered sword qi aimed at Qiao Xueying suddenly coalesced into a massive crescent-shaped energy, striking her in an instant.

Qiao Xueying cried out in pain, spitting a stream of blood as she collapsed to the ground.

Mi Li expertly controlled the force, severely injuring Qiao Xueying without making her feel mortally threatened. This ensured Qiao Xueying would hesitate to use her last life-saving “Mirror Flower Water Moon,” thus preventing her escape and the potential revelation of Mi Li’s secrets.

Just as Mi Li anticipated, Qiao Xueying didn’t use her precious, last chance.

Mi Li sneered. Though each individual strike wasn’t fatal, a few more would certainly send her to her grave.

By the time Qiao Xueying realized, it was too late.

She was utterly unable to move, unable even to summon the vital energy to activate “Mirror Flower Water Moon.” All she could do was watch helplessly as another massive crescent of sword qi cleaved towards her.

Just then, a figure lunged over her, shielding her from the attack.

The sword qi struck Zu An’s back, and he gasped, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Qiao Xueying stared blankly at the man covering her, momentarily speechless.

“What a touching display of affection,” Mi Li snorted. “Then go die together.”

Another sword strike followed, this one with an overwhelming number of sword qi, clearly intended to hack them both to pieces and resolve the situation for good.

“Run!” Qiao Xueying cried out in panic. She knew that if he stayed, he wouldn’t just fail to save her; they would both be chopped into countless pieces.

“How could I abandon you at a time like this?” Zu An asked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with a dashing smile. Yet, inwardly, he was far from relaxed. He frantically channeled the Primordial Chaos Sutra to protect his body, all while secretly praying for his “Sugar Mommy’s Pleasure Ball” to activate.

His greatest fear now was that if he were sliced into countless pieces, would the “Sugar Mommy’s Pleasure Ball” even be able to reassemble him?

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Soon, all the sword qi struck him, blooming into countless splashes of blood. Qiao Xueying’s eyes welled up with tears, and just as she was about to cry out, she suddenly froze. Although he had become a bloody mess, she realized his body was still largely intact—not dismembered as she had feared.

Mi Li’s eyes widened in disbelief; the sight before her made her question her own abilities. Had her strength truly diminished to this extent? She couldn’t even kill a Rank Three cultivator?

Zu An felt his body frantically absorbing the Primordial Chaos Qi from their surroundings. The location of this underground palace must have excellent feng shui, boosted by various formations and centuries of accumulation, making the Primordial Chaos Qi far denser than outside. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been enough to heal such severe injuries.

Seeing him spit out another mouthful of blood, Qiao Xueying hastily wiped his face. “You’re bleeding again,” she said anxiously. “How do you feel?”

“It’s fine,” Zu An said with his most nonchalant smile. “I’m getting used to it.” Having sustained such severe injuries this time, it wouldn’t be like him not to seize the opportunity to show off a little.

Qiao Xueying’s lips curved slightly. She used to find his irreverent nature annoying, but now, she felt an extraordinary sense of reassurance. This man remained optimistic no matter the predicament.

Feeling the Primordial Chaos Qi ceaselessly mending his wounds, Zu An shakily rose to his feet. He knew that simply enduring attacks was not a viable strategy.

No matter how powerful the Sugar Mommy’s Pleasure Ball was, he couldn’t bet on it protecting him from being chopped to pieces indefinitely. He still had to fight back.

As if sensing his fighting will, Mi Li seemed slightly moved. “I must say,” she conceded, “though your cultivation is low, your willpower is incredibly strong—so strong that I find myself impressed. No wonder you were able to break the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man.”

Zu An spat out a mouthful of bloody froth. “So you remember I broke the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man,” he retorted. “Is this how you repay your savior?”

Mi Li sighed. “I originally had no intention of killing you,” she said, “but then I was poisoned by ‘Xiangfei’s Red Tears,’ forcing me to inhabit your wife’s body. And then you did something unforgivable to me; how could I possibly let you live?”

As she spoke the last part, her cheeks flushed crimson, whether from anger or embarrassment was unclear.

Zu An cried out, feeling greatly wronged. “I was simply being intimate with my own wife, which is perfectly natural!” he protested. “Who told you to sneak in? And now you’re blaming me for it?”

“You got to take an immense advantage, which, in a way, repays your life-saving kindness. You can die content,” Mi Li thought, secretly fuming. *I am the magnificent Empress of the Great Qin Empire, the foremost beauty, second only to one and above ten thousand! Countless men would gladly give their lives just for a whiff of my skirt’s scent, and this man, having taken such an enormous liberty, is still not satisfied?*

Mi Li’s rage value: +999!

Zu An finally understood why the woman was always so ruthless—it was because she couldn’t accept that he had taken advantage of her.

He felt wronged too! If he had been intimate with Mi Li’s actual body, he would have accepted being hunted down. But that was clearly his wife Chu Yan’s body!

It was an utter loss!

He took a deep breath and said coldly, “Do you really think I could break the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man without a few tricks up my sleeve?”

Mi Li raised a graceful eyebrow. “Oh? Then I’d like to see it for myself.”

She was indeed curious about how he had broken the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man. She hadn’t fully understood it, and she wanted to see what he, with such low cultivation, had relied on to accomplish such a miracle.

Zu An stood there, covered in blood, his body trembling as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet, he still held his head high and chest out, stating calmly, “Since Tai’a has acknowledged me as its master, then come with me to conquer devils and demons, and reclaim the glory of your former majestic power.”

After speaking, he stretched out a hand towards the distant stone wall and roared, “Sword, come!”

Earlier, Zhang Han had been impaled to the wall by the Tai’a Sword. Zhang Han was gone, but the Tai’a Sword remained embedded in the stone wall.

Mi Li was startled. She knew the immense power of the Tai’a Sword, and if it truly merged with him, her current condition would make it quite troublesome to handle.

She hurriedly channeled her vital energy, preparing for defense. But she quickly froze in disbelief, for the Tai’a Sword remained stuck in the stone wall, completely motionless and unresponsive!

Zu An, too, was incredibly embarrassed. Why did the sword appear instantly for others when they simply commanded it, looking so incredibly cool? Did he truly lack a protagonist’s aura?

Still unwilling to give up, he quickly shouted again, “Sword, *again!*”

As he shouted, he also attempted to project a wisp of vital energy to draw the distant Tai’a Sword. Unfortunately, being only Rank Three, he was far from the stage where his vital energy could leave his body; it dissipated shortly after being released.

The Tai’a Sword remained unmoving in the stone wall.

Even Zu An, whose face was thicker than a city wall, couldn’t help but feel his composure crack. “Sword, *one more time!*”

He now finally understood Chu Zhongtian’s desperate state of mind when naming his daughters.

Alas, the Tai’a Sword remained quietly embedded.

Even Qiao Xueying, standing nearby, couldn’t bear to watch and covered her face, finding the scene utterly embarrassing.

“Hahahaha,” Mi Li’s unrestrained laughter echoed, “You know you can’t kill me. Are you trying to make me die of laughter instead?”