Chapter 29: Almost Killed by Junior Sister

It turned out the Wentian Sect had established a containment barrier here, specifically to trap the aquatic Demon Beasts within this section of the river.

Xiao Yifeng placed his hand against the invisible wall. He sensed the energy signature—it was strong enough to withstand attacks from a cultivator at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. It made sense; the sect regularly purged these waters to prevent any beast from evolving into a Demon King.

“Junior Sister Ling,” Xiao Yifeng said, turning to his companion. “This barrier bears the sect’s signature. Our Enforcement Tokens should act as keys. However, we don’t know what’s waiting on the other side. Let’s extinguish the light from our Water-Avoiding Pearls to avoid drawing a swarm.”

“Alright, Senior Brother Xiao. I’ll follow your lead,” Ling Sisi replied obediently.

They retrieved their identity tokens and pressed them against the current. The barrier rippled like a curtain, allowing them to slip through effortlessly. They exchanged a look of relief before quietly infiltrating the enclosed zone.

The underwater world here was teeming with life.

The primary inhabitants were the Green-Eyed Swimming Fish, though “fish” was a misnomer. These creatures possessed four stubby legs and a long tail, resembling aquatic lizards more than fish, save for their enormous, emerald-green eyes.

Their bodies were a milky white, patterned with faint stripes, and their mouths were comically large. They paddled through the undercurrents with the clumsy enthusiasm of puppies, occasionally crawling onto submerged reefs to rest in piles.

Scanning the area with a detection technique, Xiao Yifeng confirmed the Sect Leader’s intel. While most were harmless low-level beasts at the first or second layer of Qi Condensation, there was a significant number of Level 4 and above lurking in the shadows.

This was a farm. As long as the beasts stayed within the barrier, the Wentian Sect allowed them to breed and thrive. But once a year, the reapers came to harvest the strong, ensuring the population never produced a threat capable of breaking the seal.

If a Demon King were to rise and shatter the barrier, the disciples downstream would be waiting to slaughter anything that escaped. To a cultivator, these beasts were livestock. To a mortal, they were monsters.

Ling Sisi, however, saw none of the danger. She saw only the “puppy-lizards” paddling around with their big, innocent eyes.

Her eyes sparkled, practically radiating hearts. “They… they are so cute!” she squealed softly. “Senior Brother Xiao, do we really have to kill them? It feels so cruel.”

Xiao Yifeng glanced at her, unimpressed. “Junior Sister, survival of the fittest is the law of nature. Furthermore, cultivation is an act of defying Heaven; there is no room for misplaced pity.”

He raised his hand. “If you think they are cute, watch closely.”

He channeled Qi into his Water-Avoiding Pearl. The light bloomed, cutting through the darkness like a flare.

The reaction was instantaneous.

The sudden brightness sent the weaker beasts scattering into the crevices, terrified. But the stronger ones—the ones that had tasted power—reacted differently.

SCREEE!

A piercing shriek echoed through the water. The “cute” lizards underwent a grotesque transformation. Their milky skin flushed a violent crimson, and their smooth scales bristled like spikes. Their jaws unhinged, revealing rows of serrated, needle-like teeth, and their innocent green eyes began to glow with a bloodthirsty red light.

Dozens of them launched themselves at the light source, frenzied and starving.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Invisible water arrows shot from their mouths, hidden perfectly within the currents. They slammed into Xiao Yifeng’s protective bubble, causing violent ripples to shudder across the surface.

Ling Sisi gasped, her face draining of color. The sudden shift from “adorable” to “apocalyptic” paralyzed her.

Xiao Yifeng remained calm. He drew his cultivator’s sword, slashing out sharp arcs of Sword Qi that cut through the water.

“Before Level 4, they are docile Spirit Beasts,” he lectured coolly, as if giving a classroom demonstration. “After Level 4, they become Demon Beasts—aggressive and bloodthirsty . It makes identifying our targets quite convenient.”

Each swing of his sword severed a head. Green blood plumed into the water, a thick mist that only seemed to drive the remaining beasts into a feeding frenzy. They swarmed over the bodies of their fallen kin, charging forward one after another.

Ling Sisi’s barrier was under siege. Several frenzied beasts latched onto her bubble, gnawing at the energy shield with terrifying ferocity.

She stood frozen, eyes squeezed shut, trembling.

Xiao Yifeng sighed internally. No wonder Tang Pei didn’t want to partner with her. She isn’t a cultivator; she’s just a sheltered girl with a sword.

“Junior Sister Ling!” he shouted, his voice cutting through her panic. “What are you dazing out for? These beasts won’t show mercy just because you’re pretty!”

Jolted by his voice, Ling Sisi fumbled for her sword. In a blind panic, she channeled her spiritual energy and unleashed a spell.

The water around her exploded.

She was a Water-attribute cultivator, and in this environment, her power was amplified. Countless razor-sharp water blades erupted from her body in an omnidirectional storm, shredding everything in their path—friend and foe alike.

“Whoa!”

Xiao Yifeng’s eyes widened. He scrambled backward, barely dodging a massive scythe of compressed water that shaved a layer off his protective barrier.

The chaotic storm of blades turned the surrounding water into a blender. The attacking beasts were minced instantly, along with several innocent low-level ones that hadn’t escaped in time. The river turned into a soup of dark green blood and shredded flesh.

Visibility dropped to zero.

“Senior Brother Xiao?” A tearful, trembling voice called out from the bloody mist. “Are you… are you still there? Senior Brother!”

“I’m here!” Xiao Yifeng yelled back quickly, terrified she might fire off a second volley. “I’m alive! Stop casting!”

Ling Sisi emerged from the blood fog, her face pale and streaked with tears. When she saw Xiao Yifeng unharmed, her legs went weak.

“Oh, thank goodness… You scared me to death! I panicked and forgot you were standing right there… are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Xiao Yifeng said, wiping a phantom drop of sweat from his forehead. “But Junior Sister… never do that again. Casting such a large-scale spell blindly in an enclosed space is suicide. Plus, with your reserves, you’ll burn out after a few casts. Then what will you do?”

“I’m sorry…” Ling Sisi hung her head, looking like a puppy waiting to be swatted with a newspaper. “They surrounded me, and I just… I didn’t think.”

More beasts were gathering, drawn by the overwhelming scent of blood. Xiao Yifeng didn’t have time to scold her further.

“Junior Sister, listen to me. Have you practiced the ‘Two Forms Sword Formation’ and the ‘Demon-Slaying Sword Qi’?”

“Yes!” She nodded vigorously. These were standard drills for all disciples.

“Good. We’re forming the Two Forms Sword Formation. From now on, only use the Demon-Slaying Sword Qi—precision strikes only. No more area-of-effect spells. If your Qi runs low, tell me, and we retreat. Understood?”

“Understood!”

Xiao Yifeng moved into position, circulating his Qi to resonate with hers. Ling Sisi, though inexperienced, was obedient. She quickly took her stance, locking her aura with his.

A massive Yin-Yang diagram manifested beneath their feet, glowing faintly in the dark water. They stood at the two opposing poles, a shared barrier rising around them.

They exchanged a glance, then moved in unison.

Slash!

Streaks of white Sword Qi shot out from the formation. The Demon-Slaying Sword Qi was a technique learned at the fifth layer—fast, low-cost, but lacking in raw power. Against strong opponents, it was useless. Against these soft-bodied fish? It was a meat grinder.

One strike, one kill.

The Two Forms Sword Formation linked their reserves, drastically reducing consumption while covering their blind spots. It was the perfect engine for endurance fighting. With a male and female cultivator occupying the Yang and Yin positions, the synergy amplified the power even further.

They became a turret of destruction. Sword Qi fired from the formation like a Gatling gun. The beasts couldn’t even get close before being sliced apart.

As they fell into a rhythm, Ling Sisi began to glance at Xiao Yifeng with growing shock.

For every single blade of Qi she released, Xiao Yifeng fired four or five. His attacks were seamless, requiring almost no visible charging time. The barrage of death emanating from the formation was 80% his work.

Sensing her stare, Xiao Yifeng offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t be surprised, Junior Sister. I’m just proficient at this. Practice makes perfect. You’ll get there.”

“Mn! I will work hard!”

Ling Sisi nodded, her competitive spirit ignited. She fell silent, focusing entirely on her circulation, trying desperately to keep up with his impossible pace.