The Elder Bloodfiend’s gaze swept over Luo Bingning and his pupils suddenly contracted.

“Impossible! How could you have recovered so fast?!”

His voice carried shock that bordered on disbelief.

By his calculation, with injuries as severe as Luo Bingning’s, even with heaven-and-earth treasures to aid her, she would need at least several months to recover thirty percent of her strength.

Yet only a few days had passed and the spiritual power surging in her body had already reached the peak of the Core Formation stage!

Luo Bingning rose slowly to her feet, icy light flashing in her ice-blue eyes.

“How much I recover is none of your business, you mutt!”

Her voice was cold enough to cut, every word edged with killing intent.

Her jade hand lifted slightly and the surrounding air instantly condensed into frost.

All-pervading Cold Laws gathered at her fingertips, condensing into a crystal-clear blade of frigid sword‑qi.

The sword‑qi tore through the air, stabbing straight at the Elder Bloodfiend’s face.

The Elder Bloodfiend’s face changed drastically and he hastily drove his blood‑colored spiritual power to form a protective shield.

“Boom—”

The frigid sword‑qi crashed into the blood shield, kicking up a storm of ice blossoms.

Cracks crazed across the shield in an instant and it was nearly shattered with a single strike.

The Elder Bloodfiend staggered back several steps, a flicker of dread in his eyes.

“What formidable Cold Laws! As expected of the Frost Empress!”

He licked his lips, greed burning even brighter in his eyes.

“But you have at most Core Formation strength, while I am a Nascent Soul cultivator! Today you will surely die!”

Blood‑colored spiritual power roared off his body and he turned into a streak of blood‑light that lunged at Luo Bingning.

Luo Bingning’s expression did not change; her figure flickered and vanished from where she stood.

An instant later, she appeared at the Elder Bloodfiend’s flank, her hand flattening into a palm as she struck.

The palm wind was saturated with terrifying Cold Laws, freezing the very air as it passed.

The Elder Bloodfiend blocked in a hurry, yet the blow churned his blood and qi.

“How is this possible?!”

His eyes bulged in disbelief.

She clearly only had Core Formation cultivation—how could Luo Bingning’s attacks hit this hard?

Luo Bingning gave him no time to think; her figure flashed again.

Her movement art was exquisitely profound, leaving afterimages laced across the sky.

Every strike was precise to the extreme, driving straight for the Elder Bloodfiend’s vitals.

Beaten into chaos, the Elder Bloodfiend could only defend passively.

Hiding to the side, Lin Xi watched the battle with pounding nerves.

Though Luo Bingning held the upper hand, she could sense that Bingning‑jie’s condition was not good.

Forcing the laws at her current Core Formation realm put a heavy burden on her body.

[System Prompt: Empress Battle Support Mission: Use an auxiliary talisman to boost Luo Bingning’s combat power by 30% for three breaths. Reward: One superior‑grade Profound‑rank movement art!]

Lin Xi’s eyes lit up and she hurriedly opened the system shop.

[Combat Power Boost Talisman][Price: 200 Points]

Without hesitation, she exchanged for the talisman.

The talisman appeared in her hand, giving off a faint golden glow.

Taking advantage of the battle’s chaos, Lin Xi silently sent the talisman into Luo Bingning’s body.

Locked in fierce combat with the Elder Bloodfiend, Luo Bingning suddenly felt a warm power flow into her.

Her combat power surged in an instant and what had been a somewhat strained offense became effortless.

A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but her hands did not slow; her assault only grew fiercer.

Freeze a Thousand Li!

With a crisp cry, Cold Laws erupted madly around Luo Bingning.

Within a hundred meters the temperature plunged and even the air began to ice over.

The Elder Bloodfiend’s movements slowed and his blood‑colored spiritual power was suppressed.

Seizing the opening, Luo Bingning’s figure ghosted to his face.

Frigid Palm!

Her palm fell, the wind within it bearing a world‑rending force.

The Elder Bloodfiend wanted to dodge, but his body was bound by the Cold Laws and could not move at all.

“Boom—”

The strike landed squarely on his chest.

He shot back like a kite with its string cut and smashed into the cliffside.

The rock face cracked like a spider‑web at once and rocks flew everywhere.

He spewed blood in torrents, his aura withering.

His chest had caved in a large span—it was clearly a grievous wound.

Struggling up from the rubble, the Elder Bloodfiend’s eyes were filled with fear.

“This is impossible! You obviously only have Core Formation cultivation! How can you erupt with such terrifying power?!”

Luo Bingning looked at him coolly, without the slightest mercy.

“A frog at the bottom of a well knows nothing of the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. With that paltry strength, you dare covet my bloodline?”

She slowly lifted her hand, ready to deliver the final blow.

His courage shattered, the Elder Bloodfiend hurriedly crushed a blood‑colored talisman he had pulled out.

“Luo Bingning, if you don’t die today, you’ll taste my Blood Shadow Sect’s wrath another day! Blood Master will not spare you!”

The talisman turned into a band of blood‑light that wrapped him and whisked him away.

Luo Bingning’s strike hit nothing, leaving only a deep pit in the ground.

She frowned; clearly, letting the enemy escape displeased her.

But just then, her internal injuries flared again.

The fierce battle had cost her too much; meridians that had mended began to tear anew.

Luo Bingning’s face went pale in a blink and her body swayed.

“Bingning‑jie!”

Lin Xi rushed forward to hold her up.

Luo Bingning fell heavily into Lin Xi’s arms, her breathing ragged.

Never before had such softness shown on that cold face.

Moments ago she had been imposing and majestic; now she was like a wounded little animal.

She clutched Lin Xi tightly, burying her head in the girl’s shoulder hollow.

“Xi’er… don’t leave me, okay?”

Her voice was as light as a feather, tinged with a hint of coquettish pleading.

Lin Xi’s heartbeat spiked at once.

Was this really the domineering Frost Empress from a moment ago?

How had she turned into a little kitten needing protection in the blink of an eye?

The contrast was way too much!

Even so, her hands were gentle as she stroked Luo Bingning’s hair.

“I won’t leave. I’ll stay with you, Bingning‑jie.”

Hearing this, Luo Bingning’s taut body finally relaxed.

She nuzzled against Lin Xi’s arms like a kitten seeking warmth.

“Xi’er is the best…”

Inwardly, Lin Xi ranted madly: this gap in cuteness should be illegal!

Just now she was the ice‑queen and now she’s a bundle of aegyo!

Who could possibly resist this!

[System Prompt: Luo Bingning’s Loyalty +15! Favorability +10!]

[Current Loyalty: 70/100, Favorability: 45/100]

[Host’s cultivation advanced to Foundation Establishment, Late Stage! Reward: 300 Points!]

[Gained superior‑grade Profound‑rank movement art Ripple Step!]

Lin Xi felt power surging through her body as her cultivation rose again.

At the same time, a refined movement art imprinted itself in her mind.

Ripple Step, a superior‑grade Profound‑rank movement art, which at mastery allowed one to tread on water and move as light as a swallow.

But now was not the time to study arts.

Luo Bingning’s injuries had worsened and needed treatment at once.

Lin Xi took a low‑grade healing pill from her system space and carefully fed it to Luo Bingning.

The pill melted the instant it entered and gentle medicinal power flowed through Luo Bingning’s body.

Her complexion improved a little, though she was still terribly weak.

“Xi’er, during the fight just now, I felt a strange power,” Luo Bingning said weakly.

“That power was warm and made my combat strength spike in an instant. Was that you?”

Lin Xi’s heart clenched and she quickly shook her head.

“I don’t know, maybe it was Bingning‑jie’s potential breaking out.”

Luo Bingning gave her a doubtful look but did not press on.

She was too weak now and only wanted to rest quietly in Lin Xi’s arms.

“Xi’er, let’s find a safe place to rest. The Blood Shadow Sect will be back.”

Lin Xi nodded and helped Luo Bingning to her feet.

Though Luo Bingning had driven off the Elder Bloodfiend, this place was no longer safe.

They had to move at once.

Just then, several powerful auras rolled in from afar.

Lin Xi’s face changed; those auras were approaching quickly.

There were quite a few of them—at least five or six.

“Bingning‑jie, someone’s coming!”

Luo Bingning forced herself upright, a flash of killing intent in her eyes.

“It’s reinforcements from the Blood Shadow Sect. Looks like that old dog called for help.”

Lin Xi stared into the distance, nerves taut, praying in her heart.

‘Please don’t let it be any big shots.’

In her current state, Luo Bingning could not fight again at all.

Several figures sliced through the air toward them, led by a middle‑aged woman.

She wore a blood‑red long dress, alluringly beautiful, but her eyes brimmed with venom.

Behind her followed five disciples of the Blood Shadow Sect.

None of them were weak; the lowest was Core Formation.

“Where is Senior Brother Blood Fiend?”

The middle‑aged woman looked around but did not see the Elder Bloodfiend.

“Could he have been killed by this little wench?”

Her gaze locked on Luo Bingning, a flicker of wariness in her eyes.

Though Luo Bingning looked frail now, the Empress’s pressure still made hearts quail.

“Senior Sister Blood Charm, Senior Brother Blood Fiend must have fled injured,” a Blood Shadow Sect disciple said, pointing at the blood on the ground.

“There are battle traces here and Senior Brother Blood Fiend’s aura is very faint.”

Blood Charm’s face darkened.

The Elder Bloodfiend was Nascent Soul—yet he’d been badly hurt by the grievously wounded Luo Bingning?

If this got back to the sect, it would cause an uproar.

“Luo Bingning, I didn’t expect you to still have this much bite,” Blood Charm sneered.

“But you must be just a flickering ember now, right? Surrender obediently and I’ll grant you a swift death.”

Luo Bingning looked at her coldly, without a trace of fear.

“With trash like you, you think you can kill me? How laughable.”

Provoked, Blood Charm waved a hand to the disciples behind her.

“Together! Capture Luo Bingning alive! As for that little girl, kill her!”

All five Blood Shadow Sect disciples struck at once, blood‑colored arts pouring down like a storm.

Gritting her teeth, Luo Bingning forced what remained of her spiritual power and braced to fight.

But her condition was far too poor to bring out her true strength.

At that knife‑edge moment, a long howl split the distance.

“Filth of the Blood Shadow Sect! Begone!”

The voice carried boundless fury that made the whole valley tremble.

Right after, a ribbon of golden sword‑light fell from the heavens.

Where the sword‑light passed, the Blood Shadow Sect disciples’ attacks were shredded instantly.