Chapter 79: Dreamlike as an Illusion

Watching Yang Linglong’s retreating figure vanish into the wind-whipped, snow-filled sky, Han Yue and Xu Wenli plopped onto the ground. They exchanged a look, both feeling they had just survived a disaster. Especially Han Yue. Having faced life-and-death twice in this single night, even as a cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage, he felt utterly exhausted.

Xu Ziyan also let out a long sigh of relief, stowing the talisman in her hand back into her storage pouch. She turned to Han Yue and Xu Wenli sitting in the snow and said softly:

“Senior Brother Han, Senior Sister Li, we should hurry back to the clan. It’s not safe here.”

The two got up from the ground, looking at Xu Ziyan. They didn’t dare look down on her even a little just because she was only at the Houtian cultivation level. They had just witnessed Xu Ziyan unleash her power and force Yang Linglong—that genius girl from Nanlin City already at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining—back!

They bowed deeply to Xu Ziyan, saying respectfully, “Thank you, Little Sister Ziyan, for saving us!”

Xu Ziyan had faced dangers throughout the night. Though she had escaped thanks to the talisman, she didn’t know what else might happen. Filled with tension, she saw them thanking her and hastily waved her hands, urging them:

“Please, no more formalities! Let’s get back to the clan quickly!”

Han Yue and Xu Wenli also felt this place was very unsafe and quickly nodded in agreement. They leaped onto their flying swords. Xu Wenli reached out to Xu Ziyan:

“Little Sister Ziyan, I’ll carry you!”

Xu Ziyan glanced at Xu Wenli’s exhausted expression. Knowing she had been fleeing for days and just fought a tough battle, Xu Ziyan realized Xu Wenli might struggle even to fly on her own, let alone carry her all the way to Zhongdu City. She gently shook her head:

“No need! Sister Wenli, you fly on your own. I’ll travel by myself.”

Xu Ziyan had decided to use her Snow Force ability. Her concealment and the speed she used to block Yang Linglong were already seen; hiding it was pointless. She might as well reveal it now, especially since she’d soon enter the Inner Hall anyway.

“You…?”

Xu Wenli was startled but felt awkward saying flying was faster than walking. Stuck standing on her flying sword, she couldn’t find the words.

Xu Ziyan immediately understood what Xu Wenli was thinking and chuckled lightly. “Sister Wenli, don’t worry. I won’t lag behind.”

“Huh?”

Xu Ziyan’s words not only startled Xu Wenli but also made Han Yue, hovering nearby, look at her doubtfully. Neither understood what she meant, and both fixed their gazes on her.

Xu Ziyan shook her head with a light laugh, knowing they wouldn’t believe without a demonstration. Focusing her mind, she subtly channeled Snow Force. But this time, she didn’t use its concealment function, only the insights into speed she had gained from it.

Amidst the swirling snow, Xu Ziyan’s figure blurred into streaks, soaring forward in a mysterious trajectory. To Xu Wenli and Han Yue, her body seemed weightless, drifting with the wind, yet incredibly fast. They couldn’t make out her actual form, only an afterimage darting like a Snow Spirit before vanishing instantly.

Han Yue and Xu Wenli exchanged a look of utter shock, immediately jumping on their swords to chase after her. Pushing themselves to their limits, they still trailed behind Xu Ziyan racing across the ground, only able to see her dreamlike, phantom figure flashing through the blizzard.

“What cultivation method is that? A secret of your Xu Clan?” Han Yue finally couldn’t hold back his confusion, asking Xu Wenli urgently as they flew.

To his surprise, Xu Wenli just shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen any disciple in the clan move with such grace and speed.”

Han Yue frowned, deep in thought. He truly hadn’t heard of such a method within the Xu Clan. Watching Xu Ziyan’s shimmering back ahead, his curiosity grew even deeper.

Soon, they caught up to Xu Yundong, still struggling to run through the relentless storm. Xu Yundong felt a gust of wind rush past him, followed by Xu Ziyan’s silvery voice ringing out from somewhere ahead:

“Senior Brother Han, would you mind bringing Xu Yundong along?”

Han Yue’s flying sword arced downward. As he passed Xu Yundong, he grabbed the young man and settled him onto the sword before accelerating again like an arrow to chase Xu Ziyan.

A sense of competitive unwillingness stirred within Han Yue and Xu Wenli. Xu Ziyan pushing Yang Linglong back earlier – that was with talismans. But now, she was actually outpacing them relying solely on her own cultivation! Being left behind by someone who was running on the ground, an Eleventh Layer Houtian cultivator at that, while they were flying? It was frankly embarrassing!

So both poured in all their strength, cutting through the dense curtain of snow, chasing after Xu Ziyan like the wind and lightning themselves.

On the ground, a phantom figure, dreamlike as an illusion, streaked forward with impossible speed. Her passage kicked up the snow on the ground, trailing a long, white line behind her. In the sky, two flying swords carrying three people cleaved through the flurries, forcing a path through the blizzard to stay hot on Xu Ziyan’s heels.

“Han… Han Senior, who… who is that down there?” Xu Yundong, standing behind Han Yue on the sword, gasped as snow flew into his mouth, struggling to get the question out.

Han Yue offered a bitter smile from the front of the sword. “It’s Xu Ziyan.”

“Xu Ziyan? How can she…?” Xu Yundong stammered, utterly bewildered.

Han Yue’s smile turned even more bitter, his tone full of stubborn disbelief and a touch of resignation. “You’re a Xu Clan disciple! If you don’t know, how could I?”

“Whoosh—!”

The snow directly ahead suddenly split apart. A figure burst out of the blizzard right towards them! Han Yue and Xu Wenli, hurtling forward, jolted in alarm and strained to see clearly.

But they were traveling too fast to stop. Reacting instantly, they veered sharply to either side. The figure shot straight between them like a dart, and they whooshed past. The figure twisted elegantly in mid-air, carving an arc before turning to pursue them with terrifying speed.

Han Yue and Xu Wenli reacted like startled rabbits. Seeing someone racing after them, they wouldn’t dream of stopping! Instantly, they overdrew their True Essence, forcing another burst of speed as they shot towards Zhongdu City buried in the storm. Xu Wenli even yelled desperately down towards the snowy ground where Xu Ziyan ran:

“Little Sister Ziyan! Run! Someone’s chasing us!!”