Chapter 46: Su Miaoqing Displays Divine Might, Xuan Yi Takes the Stage

The young girl in red was none other than Xiao Yifeng’s childhood sweetheart and Senior Sister, Su Miaoqing.

Xiao Yifeng smiled bitterly. He hadn’t expected her to actually follow him down the mountain. How long has she been watching from the shadows?

He opened his mouth to greet her, but Su Miaoqing shot him a subtle, warning glance. Xiao Yifeng paused, immediately understanding her intent—she wanted to remain anonymous for now.

Li Yuanming stared at the girl, hesitating. He couldn’t gauge her background, but for someone so young to have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage meant she was no ordinary cultivator. She likely hailed from a powerful clan.

“I do not know which Fellow Daoist has graced us with her presence,” Li Yuanming said cautiously, clasping his hands. “But may I ask why you are meddling in the internal affairs of my market?”

Su Miaoqing let out a cold snort, her chin lifted high.

“I simply cannot stand the sight of people twisting right and wrong to bully the weak,” she declared, her voice crisp and imperious. “If you want to fight, then stop talking and draw your weapon. I have decided to handle this injustice today. If you have a problem with that, then come at me!”

Li Yuanming’s face darkened, turning an ugly shade of purple. He was being humiliated in front of a growing crowd, and backing down now would destroy his reputation. He glanced sideways at his nephew, Li Lifang.

Li Lifang shook his head slightly, signaling that he had no idea who she was.

Su Miaoqing rarely wore the standard disciple robes and spent most of her time in seclusion at Wuya Hall. Apart from her own martial siblings, very few disciples in the other halls recognized her face.

Assuming she was merely a meddlesome daughter from some external cultivation clan, Li Yuanming’s fear turned into anger.

“Fine! Since you insist on interfering, I will capture you alongside him! Let’s see what your family elders have to say when I drag you to them!”

Li Yuanming didn’t wait. His figure blurred, shooting forward like a streak of black light.

He slipped a pair of heavy black gloves onto his hands as he moved. He was a practitioner of a rare and brutal fist art.

His fists punched out like rolling thunder, generating sonic booms that echoed through the street. Dozens of black fist imprints materialized in the air, smashing toward Su Miaoqing like a meteor shower.

But Su Miaoqing was no longer the same girl who had been thrashed by the snake demon. Since that defeat, she had been subjected to hellish training. Her strength today was leagues above her past self.

She didn’t retreat. With a graceful flick of her wrist, her long sword spun, creating a blooming flower of steel. Several arcs of Sword Qi slashed outward, intercepting the fist imprints and detonating them in mid-air.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before the smoke cleared, Su Miaoqing stomped her jade-like foot on the ground. Her fiery red sword left her hand, splitting into multiple streaks of crimson light that slashed aggressively at Li Yuanming.

Li Yuanming was forced onto the defensive. He roared, his gloved fists dancing frantically to create an impenetrable wall of shadow, knocking the flying swords away.

He blocked them, yes, but he was being suppressed.

Su Miaoqing frowned. She was annoyed. Attacking for this long without a decisive victory was frustrating.

“Useless,” she muttered.

Her delicate hands formed a series of complex seals with the fluidity of a blooming lotus. Suddenly, the ambient temperature in the market spiked. It felt as if a furnace had been opened.

Waves of heat distorted the air around her.

“Vermilion Bird Burning the Heavens!”

Su Miaoqing gave a sharp cry, her hand snapping back to recall her sword.

SCREEE—!

A deafening, piercing cry rang out. A massive phantom of a Vermilion Bird erupted from her sword. Its feathers were composed of raging flames, its eyes burning with divine brilliance. It was vivid, lifelike, and terrifying.

With a flap of its wings, the fire construct swooped down toward Li Yuanming.

The heat was suffocating. The onlookers gasped and scrambled backward, terrified that the flames would consume the entire street.

Xiao Yifeng’s eyes widened. This technique possessed the raw power of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

So that’s why Mistress sent her to observe the Guardian Fire Phoenix, he realized. She was using the divine beast as a reference for her Dao!

“Stop!” Xiao Yifeng shouted, his face changing color.

Li Yuanming was only an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. He wouldn’t be able to withstand this strike. If Su Miaoqing accidentally killed a sect overseer in public, the political fallout for Wuya Hall would be catastrophic.

Li Yuanming stared up at the descending doom, his eyes wide with terror. He could feel his eyebrows singing from the heat. The pressure locked him in place. He couldn’t dodge.

He closed his eyes, his face pale as ash. I’m dead.

“Show mercy!”

A powerful voice boomed from the sky.

A streak of blue light descended from the distance—a handsome man dressed in the sky-blue robes of a high-ranking True Disciple.

“Sword Shield!”

The newcomer roared, his hand chopping downward. A colossal giant sword fell from the heavens, slamming into the earth in front of Li Yuanming.

CLANG!

The giant sword expanded, transforming into a massive steel barrier, 5 meters wide and glowing with protective Qi.

BOOM!

The Vermilion Bird collided with the Sword Shield. The explosion was deafening. Flames shattered like liquid fire, splashing against the barrier and dissipating into sparks. The shockwave rattled the windows of nearby shops, but the shield held.

The handsome man landed softly in front of the shield. He glanced back at Li Yuanming. Seeing that the overseer was only disheveled and slightly singed, he let out a breath of relief.

He turned around, his face set in a frown, ready to reprimand the attacker.

But when his eyes landed on Su Miaoqing, he froze.

The anger in his eyes vanished, replaced by a momentary daze. He stared at her, struck dumb by her stunning beauty, the flames around her only enhancing her fierce elegance.

It took him a moment to recover. He cleared his throat, quickly cupping his hands in a respectful salute.

“I am Xuan Yi of the Wentian Sect, the disciple responsible for managing this market,” he said, his voice polite and magnetic. “I wonder how we have offended this Fairy? Why would you unleash such a heavy hand within my jurisdiction?”

Xiao Yifeng watched from the side, eyes narrowing slightly.

He recognized Xuan Yi immediately. This was the man who had tested his spiritual roots years ago. It made sense that Guangling Zhenren would entrust the market to his most trusted disciple.

Xiao Yifeng glanced at Su Miaoqing. In his previous life, Su Miaoqing had been infatuated with Xuan Yi. They had even become Dao Companions. It was a strange feeling to see them meet again like this.

Su Miaoqing, however, did not seem charmed.

“So you’re the one in charge of this dump?” she scoffed, crossing her arms. “No wonder your subordinates are so comfortable bullying people. If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be too. You’re just birds of a feather. Cut the crap—if you want to fight, come at me!”

She hated authority figures who abused their power, and she had already lumped Xuan Yi in with Li Yuanming.

Xiao Yifeng jumped. She’s going to fight Xuan Yi?

He rushed forward and grabbed her hand. “Senior Sister, stop! Don’t make a scene.”

The crowd gasped. He touched her? And he called her Senior Sister?

Xiao Yifeng didn’t care about the gossip. He had to stop this. If she fought Li Yuanming, it was fine—Su Miaoqing had achieved a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, while Li Yuanming was likely a mediocre Earthly Dao cultivator. She would crush him.

But Xuan Yi was different. He was the closed-door disciple of the Sect Leader, Guangling Zhenren. He had been in the Foundation Establishment stage for years. Su Miaoqing was talented, but she lacked experience. If she got hurt, Master would be furious.

“Xiao Feng! How am I making a scene?” Su Miaoqing pouted, trying to pull her hand away. “I’m helping you get justice!”

“I know, I know,” Xiao Yifeng whispered urgently into her ear. “But that guy is the Sect Leader’s personal disciple. If you fight him, it puts Master in a bad spot. We can’t afford that kind of trouble right now.”

“So what?” Su Miaoqing grumbled, eyeing Xuan Yi provocatively. “We won’t know who’s stronger unless we fight.”

“Senior Sister, please,” Xiao Yifeng pleaded, using his best coaxing voice.

He spent the next few moments whispering sweet nothings and logical arguments, treating her like a volatile explosive that needed defusing. Finally, the little princess huffed and relented, though she still looked dissatisfied.

While they were whispering, Xuan Yi had been questioning Li Yuanming. The overseer and his nephew were naturally embellishing the story, painting themselves as victims. Xuan Yi nodded along, though his expression remained unreadable.

He turned back to the pair.

“This must be Junior Brother Xiao Yifeng from Wuya Hall,” Xuan Yi said, acknowledging him. “And this Fairy is…?”

“Senior Brother Xuan Yi,” Xiao Yifeng bowed slightly. “This is my Senior Sister, Su Miaoqing.”

Xuan Yi’s eyes lit up.

“This Fairy is also a disciple of our Wentian Sect?” he asked, surprised. Then, realization dawned on him. “Wait… Su Miaoqing? Are you Hall Master Su’s daughter?”

“I have long heard that Junior Sister Su is brilliant and peerlessly graceful. Seeing you today, the rumors truly do not do you justice.”

He bowed deeply to Su Miaoqing, his posture humble.

“I apologize for my abruptness earlier. The situation was urgent, and I did not wish to see a fatality. I hope Junior Sister does not blame me. If there has been a misunderstanding, or if my subordinates have acted improperly, I promise to give you a satisfactory explanation.”