Chapter 443: Mirror

In a fight between ordinary martial artists, a long whip would at most strike like lightning, swift and fierce, trailing afterimages.

But when Si Li moved, Shao Xiaoli felt a majestic, long, dark river falling headlong towards her.

With the great river upon her, Shao Xiaoli had nowhere to hide; she could only raise her sword and thrust.

The long whip touched the sword, and a resilient force disarmed its sharpness, instead skillfully wrapping around it. The sharp sword was instantly bound into an airtight club.

Fourth Senior Sister gripped the whip and, with a savage tug, pulled Shao Xiaoli forward, snatching the sword directly from her hand.

She tried to regain control with spiritual energy, but the dark whip quickly swung down again, striking her solidly. Even blocking with her arm, Shao Xiaoli could feel the force penetrating all the acupoints and qi-residences throughout her body, shaking her to the core.

The whip struck and retreated in an instant, only to swing down again.

Shao Xiaoli quickly retreated using her evasion technique, but even after vanishing into the void, the tip of the whip could still cross space like a tracking serpent, pulling her out.

Their figures moved at high speed over the Luo River. Their fighting movements were not expansive, and neither used the power of the Five Paths Realm, otherwise, they might have turned the Luo River upside down.

Shao Xiaoli truly felt as if she were made of water. The whip only touched a single point, yet the residual force rippled through her entire body, making her feel like a beaten drum and boiling water. The moment she tried to channel any spiritual energy, her bones felt as if they were being cut, causing unbearable pain.

While the young girl was still desperately dodging, Fourth Senior Sister's figure coldly appeared beside her.

Shao Xiaoli planted her feet and abruptly stopped, intending to evade her. But Si Li seemed to read her thoughts clearly; the moment Shao Xiaoli stopped, Fourth Senior Sister twisted her body and slammed a whip-kick into her waist.

Shao Xiaoli couldn't dodge in time and slid backward again, kneeling on the ground, coughing incessantly.

Si Li appeared before her, holding the long whip.

Her series of movements was not only fluid but also possessed a pleasing beauty of violence. Despite her body aching all over, Shao Xiaoli also felt the swift and fierce beauty of the techniques.

Si Li tossed the snatched sword back to her.

Shao Xiaoli caught the sword, gritting her teeth and enduring the pain, then said, "Senior Sister... you are so strong."

Si Li, however, said, "Your fundamental Daoist principles are good, but your cultivation period is too short, making your progress superficial. Once your foundation is solid, you should be able to see my moves clearly."

Waves of pain erupted in Shao Xiaoli's body. She slowly straightened up, gritting her teeth and gripping the sword tightly, the patterns on the hilt pressed so tightly against her palm that they almost embedded themselves.

"Was it like this when Fourth Senior Sister learned weapons with First Senior Sister?" Shao Xiaoli asked.

Si Li recalled, "Not exactly. The gap between First Senior Sister and me back then was far greater than the gap between you and me now. Even using all my skills, I couldn't stand against one of her fingers."

Shao Xiaoli asked curiously, "What about now?"

Si Li shook her head and said, "Senior Sister is unfathomable. How would I know?"

Shao Xiaoli asked, "Haven't you fought First Senior Sister again?"

Si Li said earnestly, "Since I mastered martial arts and weaponry, Senior Sister no longer fought with me; instead, she subdued me with virtue."

Shao Xiaoli asked in surprise, "Why?"

Si Li explained, "It must be Senior Sister's grandmaster demeanor, fearing I would lose too much and damage my Dao heart. But in fact, my Dao heart had already been tempered for a hundred years by then; how could it be so fragile?"

Shao Xiaoli weakly suggested, "Perhaps First Senior Sister was afraid of accidentally losing a move or two and losing face, so she chose the safest way: to suppress with seniority."

"What are you talking about?" Si Li's gaze sharpened slightly, and she said sternly, "How could Senior Sister be someone who loves vanity? Get up, continue practicing!"

By the end of November, the weather grew colder, and snow had already begun to fall in the Northern Kingdom. Only in the Forbidden Temple did the scenery remain warm and spring-like. As the wind blew from afar and swept into the sea of clouds, one's heart would find rare peace amidst the turbulent cloud waves.

Ning Changjiu stood vertically on the cliff face, looking up at Lu Jiajia and Siming standing on the cliff, and said, "That year, I fell from here."

Lu Jiajia lowered her head, looking at the young man parallel to the sea of clouds, and asked, "What's below?"

Siming said, "It should be the moon."

Lu Jiajia asked, confused, "Isn't the moon up there?"

Siming smiled and said, "How can the Forbidden Temple be explained by common sense? Jiajia, your eyes are beautiful, but how is it that you still can't see through the illusion?"

Lu Jiajia snorted coldly and said, "I don't believe you."

Siming looked towards Ning Changjiu, hoping for a definite answer.

Ning Changjiu, however, gave no