Boom!
In that instant, an invisible force, with the two opponents at its epicenter, burst forth like a furious hurricane.
A powerful vortex of energy radiated from them in all directions. Even masters at the Earth Yuan stage were simply swept off their feet, losing their balance and landing several steps away from the scene of the clash.
Meanwhile, the swirling fallen leaves and clouds of dust completely obscured the battlefield, leaving only vague silhouettes in the billowing haze for all to see.
"Who won?"
The people of the Xie clan, barely back on their feet, immediately fixed their gazes on the dust cloud. They knew very well that the outcome of this duel would decide everything.
If Xie Qian won, their clan still had a chance for a comeback. But if he lost, they would have to leave today with their tails between their legs.
Thump!
While everyone waited in tense anticipation, a figure suddenly shot out from the swirling dust. Spitting up blood, he stumbled and barely managed to stay on his feet.
"Clan Leader!"
Seeing who had been defeated, everyone was horrified. Despair began to rapidly spread through the ranks of the Xie clan.
The dust cleared, and Mu Zi appeared before the crowd, perfectly fine. Thanks to her control over spiritual power, there wasn't a single speck of dust on her clothes.
"Xie Qian lost," Lin Dong muttered quietly.
In truth, after witnessing the might of her [Earth Yuan Seal] firsthand, he had already guessed this outcome.
And yet, when Xie Qian was truly defeated, Lin Dong's heart was filled with shock.
Relying almost solely on Yuan Power, Mu Zi had utterly defeated a master at the peak of the Heavenly Yuan stage.
"And this is an Earth Yuan stage?"
Lin Dong gave a bitter smile. Back when he was at the same stage, he had to use all his strength just to defeat a certain Wu Sha.
And Wu Sha was only at the initial level of the Heavenly Yuan stage.
Wu Sha: "What did I do to deserve this?"
On the battlefield, Mu Zi maintained a completely composed expression, her entire being radiating the aura of a true master.
In reality, however, her Yuan Power was almost completely depleted. To crush Xie Qian in a head-on collision, she had to give it her all.
The Xie clan leader was very powerful, not at all a match for her previous opponents.
After all, he possessed a fourth-rank martial art that he had practiced for many years and honed to perfection.
Even the best fighters of the younger generation in Yancheng City could hardly compare to him.
Mu Zi's cultivation was only at the Earth Yuan stage. She could defeat such an opponent, but killing him would be much more difficult.
Now, there was almost no Yuan Power left in her body, while Xie Qian, though spitting blood, was still capable of fighting.
From Mu Zi's sleeve, the [Icy Soul Sword] flew out and hovered in the air beside her. Not daring to relax, she watched her opponent warily.
However, Xie Qian was already terrified. Getting to his feet, he didn't dare to hesitate for a second and, without even a parting threat, fled with all his might.
"Oh, for... Mu Zi was speechless. What a coward."
Although she cursed under her breath, she still sent the [Icy Soul Sword] after Xie Qian. The bone-chilling cold made the fugitive's blood run cold. He sharply dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.
He dodged, but not completely.
"A-a-a-ah!"
A heart-wrenching shriek rang out—Mu Zi had severed Xie Qian's arm.
Amazingly, not a single drop of blood flowed from the wound. Under the effect of the icy aura, it instantly froze, taking on a gruesome bluish hue.
Deprived of his arm, Xie Qian fled with unprecedented speed, vanishing from sight in an instant.
The girl watched him calmly. If she said she'd chop off his arm, then that's what would happen.
I, Mu Zi, am a person of my word!
Xie Qian: "..."
Seeing their clan leader flee for his life, the people of the Xie clan completely lost their will to fight. They no longer dared to stand against Lin Dong and scattered in all directions.
Lin Dong initially gave chase but soon returned. His main priority was the safety of Liu Yan and the others.
Although the Xie clan had been defeated, he couldn't rule out the possibility of people from the Lei clan showing up.
Lin Dong quickly caught up with the Lin clan's group and escorted them all the way to Ironwood Manor.
To his surprise, Mu Zi followed them for some reason as well.
The girl didn't say a word, walking silently alongside the Lin clan's group.
Lin Dong opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words.
After some thought, he decided that since Mu Zi had stood against Xie Qian, she had no ill intentions toward the Lin clan. If she wanted to come with them, he wouldn't stop her.
"Maybe she really decided to escort us all the way to the manor."
This thought, though not entirely certain, moved Lin Dong deeply.
He and Mu Zi were only casual acquaintances, yet she had come to their aid without hesitation. She not only stopped Xie Qian but also escorted Liu Yan and the others to safety.
Thinking this, Lin Dong secretly glanced at the girl walking beside him, and a warmth filled his heart.
To think she's such a good person!
While Lin Dong was lost in thought, Ironwood Manor finally came into sight, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, we're safe!
Liu Yan approached Mu Zi. Her eyes shone with gratitude, and she smiled warmly, her tone motherly and kind. "My dear girl, we owe you our lives this time! "Please, rest for a bit in our home. Xiao and I would like to properly thank you."
Mu Zi smiled politely and shook her head. "No need to trouble yourselves."
She pointed to Lin Dong, who was standing nearby. "I have a small matter to discuss with him."
Liu Yan's eyes lit up, and her gaze became even kinder. She pushed Lin Dong forward and instructed him: "Dong-er, go on, talk to this girl. "And remember, you must properly thank her!" she said, giving her son a meaningful wink.
His mother's strange behavior confused Lin Dong. He walked with Mu Zi to a quiet corner.
However, just as he was about to open his mouth to thank her, Mu Zi suddenly spoke first. "You're Lin Dong, right?"
Lin Dong nodded. "Give me the money!"
"Huh?" Lin Dong stared at her, not understanding.
Mu Zi put her hands on her hips and stated, with full confidence in her righteousness: "I defeated Xie Qian and did you a huge favor. "You don't think I'll help you for free, do you?"
It took Lin Dong a few moments to come to his senses. The fact that the girl had escorted them all the way had seemed a bit strange—she was just too kind.
Now everything was clear. It turned out she was just waiting for a reward.
Lin Dong just didn't expect her to demand it so bluntly. How... direct.
"Okay!"
Lin Dong gave a helpless smile, feeling no annoyance. After all, she had genuinely helped, and it was only fair for her to receive payment.
With that, Lin Dong began to take Yang Yuan stones out of his Interspatial Pouch.
However, Mu Zi stopped him. "I don't need Yang Yuan stones!"
A bad feeling arose in Lin Dong's heart. "Then what do you want?"
Mu Zi measured Lin Dong with a look from head to toe. The gaze made him feel uneasy, as if she could see right through him. "Your Shattering Shuttles are quite good. I'll take them," Mu Zi said. "Don't worry, I won't take them all. You can keep one for yourself. I'm not a monster, after all."
The corner of Lin Dong's mouth twitched.
"Leave me one out of a dozen shuttles... thanks a lot!"
After a long negotiation, under Lin Dong's mournful gaze, Mu Zi put half of the shattering shuttles into her Interspatial Pouch.
Seeing the [Icy Soul Sword] hovering next to the girl, Lin Dong felt his eyelid twitch again.
"Your weapon is clearly much better than my shuttles!"
If Mu Zi knew what he was thinking, she would have surely praised his insight.
The [Icy Soul Sword] was incredibly valuable. At an auction, its starting price would be no less than ten thousand Yang Yuan stones. And even with twenty thousand, one couldn't be sure of success.
This one sword was worth more than all of Lin Dong's possessions.
Mu Zi demanded the shattering shuttles not only because they were indeed the most valuable thing Lin Dong had, but also for other reasons.
Her artifact creation skills were quite good; she surpassed even the second and third-seal talisman masters from Flame City.
Upon her return, she planned to use this shattering steel to forge a new weapon and then sell it to Lin Dong at a high price.
By then, she was sure he would have somehow gotten a lot more Yang Yuan stones.
Mu Zi gave a sly smile. She couldn't help but remember a story from her past life about a famous swindler.
"Sell a crutch the first year, a wheelchair the second. Then take the crutch back, rebuild it into a stretcher, and sell it to him again the year after!"
Noticing the smile on Mu Zi's face, Lin Dong shivered for some reason.
"Brother Lin Dong, do we have a guest?"
Suddenly, a girl ran up to them and looked at Mu Zi with curiosity.