The gale of Gang Qi could not be sustained, and the black shadow was no ordinary creature. Although it had been injured by the blast of Gang Qi a moment ago when caught off guard, it had now recovered. It condensed the black qi around its body into a net interwoven with golden threads, successfully trapping the Gang Qi inside.
Only then did the black shadow have a moment to look at the person who had just harmed it.
Its gaze fell upon a young girl with a horrified expression. She wore tattered, patched-up clothes and looked to be only in her teens. Although she was pretty and delicate, she was clearly malnourished. No matter how it looked at her, she seemed like a common village girl. 'How could she possibly unleash such a magnificent blast of Gang Qi?'
'Could it be that she accidentally obtained some Magical Treasure, and it automatically protected its master?'
A thought flashed through the black shadow's mind, and greed instantly filled its eyes. Without another moment of hesitation, while still controlling the black net, it shot its other dry, sharp claw, wreathed in black qi, out over a dozen feet, lunging for the Silk Embroideress once more.
YIP!
CLANG!
A streak of white light struck the sharp claw, halting its advance with the sound of clashing metal.
It was the white shadow. Seeing the black creature entangled, it had spat out a beam of white light to block its attack before darting past the Silk Embroideress.
Seeing the white shadow flash by, the Silk Embroideress finally reacted. She knew the Protective Talisman Gu Zhao had given her had activated. Feeling the warmth on her chest gradually cool, she didn't dare hesitate and immediately turned to run.
But the Silk Embroideress was just an ordinary young girl. The white shadow and the black qi had moved so fast she could barely see them—how fast could she possibly run in comparison?
HEHEHE!
Sensing that the gale of Gang Qi was a one-off attack with no source, and seeing the Silk Embroideress turn to flee, the black shadow concluded that the Magical Treasure on her only had enough power for a single strike. With no further hesitation, its entire form dissolved into a cloud of black qi and pounced toward the Silk Embroideress again.
The Silk Embroideress felt a sinister, cold aura wash over her once more.
"Give it to me... huh?"
The next moment, another wave of Gang Qi, imbued with a Celestial Light like that of the sun and moon, erupted from the Silk Embroideress. It instantly locked onto the source of the cold, sinister qi and transformed into a gale, sweeping toward the black shadow.
"There's more?"
The black shadow let out a strange shriek. In its panic, it spat out a cloud of black smoke tinged with golden light to shield its entire body. Although it blocked the ferocious gale of Gang Qi, the golden light within the black smoke dimmed until it was almost gone.
"My Golden Thought Silk!"
The black shadow cried out in anguish, its eyes fixing on the Silk Embroideress with a savage, bloodthirsty glare.
But the Celestial Spirit Talisman had just been activated and was at its most ferocious. The shadow was already injured from the first blast of Gang Qi and still had to control the black net to block the remnants of that attack. For a moment, it was completely unable to act.
The Silk Embroideress heard the creature's strange cry from behind her. She could feel the second Celestial Spirit Talisman gradually cooling down. Though her expression was panicked, her gaze remained firm. She gritted her teeth and focused only on escaping.
The white shadow saw that the black creature was tied up. She also assessed the Silk Embroideress's situation. Sensing that the magnificent Gang Qi seemed to target only specific auras, she didn't dare to intervene, afraid of drawing the fire onto herself.
In the face of that magnificent Celestial Light, like that of the sun and moon, she felt only her own insignificance. The Demon Power inside her cowered. She had no idea if the Silk Embroideress could trigger the Gang Qi again, or if it might target her next. So, she didn't dare get too close, keeping a careful distance as she followed alongside her.
YIP YIP YIP!
The white shadow darted past the Silk Embroideress, having found a viable escape path.
The Silk Embroideress glanced sideways and finally saw the white shadow's true form. It was a fox, pure white from head to tail, though its fur was now dirty and stained with blood. It had clearly also been injured by the black shadow.
The girl and the fox sprinted through the forest, fleeing blindly. But the Silk Embroideress subconsciously avoided the direction of her village and the small hill.
'The village... I can't go there!'
'Gu Zhao... Grandfather said the Young Master might be injured. I wonder if he's recovered...'
'I can escape on my own!'
But just as the Silk Embroideress felt she had been running for a long time, no longer hearing the screeches from far behind or feeling any warmth from her chest, a cloud of black smoke suddenly materialized before her eyes.
"Little wench, where do you think you're running?"
A sinister voice spoke as the black smoke gradually dissipated, revealing a man hovering in mid-air. He wore black, close-fitting partial armor, his face was pale, and his eyes were completely black. He blocked the Silk Embroideress's path.
The Silk Embroideress came to a screeching halt and stumbled to the ground.
The White Fox also stopped in an instant, all its fur standing on end.
The man first glanced at the White Fox, then turned his cautious gaze to the Silk Embroideress.
The last two blasts of Gang Qi had not only injured him but also consumed a great deal of his Magical Power. Even a significant amount of the Golden Thought Silk bestowed upon him by the Sect Leader had been destroyed.
So now, the man's gaze on the Silk Embroideress was both wary and greedy, and he dared not make a rash move.
"That Magical Treasure can't hurt me, and it can't protect you!" The man extended his tongue and licked his lips. "Hand over the treasure, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise, I'll rip out your soul and tear it to shreds, leaving you in a state where you can neither live nor die!"
Seeing the man stop to threaten her, the Silk Embroideress had a sudden stroke of inspiration. "That Magical Treasure was a gift from my Young Master," she declared. "What kind of creature are you to dare covet my Young Master's belongings?"
The man did indeed pause, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion. But after a moment of silence, he suddenly burst out laughing. "With the way you're dressed like a common village girl, what 'Young Master' could you possibly have? You must have dug up this treasure from some forgotten corner of the mountains and are just trying to scare me off with empty threats."
The man's eyes glinted. With a flick of his finger, a black-gold thread materialized from thin air and shot like a beam of light straight for Silk Embroideress He's forehead.
PING!
With a soft sound, the golden thread was blocked, and a streak of white light flew back into the White Fox's mouth.
"YIP YIP YIP!" The White Fox bared its fangs at the man.
The man's expression darkened as he understood the White Fox's plan.
'If I use the Golden Thought Silk to test her, which I can sever my connection to at any moment, the fox can block me. But if I attack with my full strength, I'll likely trigger that Gang Qi's counterattack.'
'A clever little trick, but do you really think that can stop me?'
The man sneered, baring his white teeth. He reached out, his hand transforming into a withered, sharp claw that shot out ten feet, lunging viciously for the White Fox.
"If I take care of you first, then there won't be a problem, will there?"
YEEEEE—
The White Fox shrieked and instantly dodged behind the Silk Embroideress.
The claw paused for a fraction of a second, then changed direction and swept toward the Silk Embroideress instead. But the man's expression was grave, and he was ready to pull back and defend at a moment's notice.
Although the Silk Embroideress understood the White Fox's plan, she had already fallen into despair.
'The White Fox and the man don't know, but I know all too well. If I hadn't still had the second Celestial Spirit Talisman that I was supposed to give to Grandfather, I'd already be dead.'
'But both Celestial Spirit Talismans have been used up. What power do I have left to block this black, sharp claw?'
The Silk Embroideress closed her eyes, and the image of that noble yet humble, kind and gentle figure flashed through her mind once more.
Then, it was as if she heard his voice again.
"Lightning chases thunder, Heaven and Earth are the eyes. Righteous Qi of the eight directions, flash with electric light!"