Chapter Thirty-Six: The Witch’s Vessel

“This fellow’s injuries haven’t fully healed yet, his strength has dropped considerably...” Lin Lei gripped his blade tightly, his eyes blazing as he watched the second-tier abomination before him.

Previously, its body had been pierced by Li Xueshu’s icy spear. That it could recover to this extent was already nothing short of a medical miracle.

Most likely, it was thanks to supernatural power.

Yet, it had not fully recovered; its strength was far from its peak. Earlier, Lin Lei could barely hold his own against it, but now, he was almost able to confront it head-on.

He glanced at Li Xueshu behind him. “Team leader, rest well. I’ll hold them off for a while!”

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Xueshu’s face, but she nodded slightly.

Lin Lei then gripped his long blade with both hands and rushed boldly toward the monster!

“Roar!”

The monster let out an angry, guttural growl, raising its sharp claws to meet his charge.

Clang!

Even in its weakened state, the second-tier monster far surpassed Lin Lei in raw strength. Yet Lin Lei had the advantage of a long weapon, and his ample skill compensated for the difference.

Li Xueshu narrowed her eyes, silently observing the scene. Her pale face betrayed a subtle expression, but she made no move to intervene, as if truly drained of all strength...

On the snowy ground, the two figures—one large, one small—clashed again and again.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sparks flickered ceaselessly.

With each collision, Lin Lei’s body grew increasingly flushed, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and the source energy that had not fully fused into his body began to integrate rapidly under the pressure.

He could feel, clearly, his body growing stronger bit by bit...

Of course, this process was much slower than during “Plundering.”

But Lin Lei believed that with enough time, if he could absorb all the remaining source energy, he might truly be able to kill this second-tier abomination!

Watching this unfold, Gao Yue’s expression in the distance grew darker. Her gaze skipped past the battle to rest again on Li Xueshu, her face showing a subtle change.

“Enough of this!”

Gao Yue strode forward, raising her palm. The black bracelet on her wrist glimmered with an eerie light, streams of enchanted symbols swirling around it.

This was a sign of her Free Technique!

“No!”

Lin Lei’s heart sank. He was barely managing against the second-tier abomination; he had no strength left to stop Gao Yue.

“Li Xueshu!”

He shouted a warning, but was quickly entangled by the monster.

Li Xueshu’s complexion remained pale, her brows furrowed as she looked toward Gao Yue in the distance...

“Too late.”

Gao Yue’s cold voice rang out, and a flaming katana materialized in her hand.

She’d spent too much energy to use the long-range fireballs she had wielded in her duel with Li Xueshu, but the flaming katana looked equally formidable.

“Damn!”

Gao Yue had closed the distance to where Lin Lei and the monster fought.

“This farce... ends now.”

With a thunderous swing, the flaming katana came crashing down.

Whoosh!

The enormous blade of fire cleaved toward Lin Lei and the monster, with no concern for collateral damage.

A wave of searing heat swept forward.

Lin Lei felt his scalp tingle, every hair standing on end...

Gao Yue was a third-realm powerhouse; even depleted, her attacks were far beyond what he could withstand.

Yet at that moment, his eyes locked fiercely onto the second-tier abomination before him.

With such an indiscriminate attack from Gao Yue, neither he nor the monster could likely withstand it. If the creature died, his gluttonous energy should be enough to “Plunder” it.

After “Plundering,” with the monster’s physical vitality, he could heal even the worst wounds!

A savage gleam flashed in his eyes, his lips curling into a grim smile, his mind focused to the utmost.

But just as the flaming katana was about to strike him, the expected torrent of heat did not arrive. Instead, a barrier of icy blue suddenly appeared before him.

Boom!

The flaming katana sliced through the air, battering the monster aside and exploding against the ice shield. With a crackling sound, a deep groove appeared in the half-meter-thick shield, but it did not break through.

The power of the flaming katana ceased abruptly, the fire slowly fading.

The blast from the flames was completely blocked by the ice shield, leaving Lin Lei untouched.

He turned to look back.

Li Xueshu approached, nodding to him.

Lin Lei let out a deep breath, his expression complicated.

“How is this possible?!” On the other side, Gao Yue’s lips twitched as she stared at Li Xueshu, retreating step by step.

“You... I’ve never seen anyone... after using ‘Gift Unleashed’ so quickly summon the power of a third realm Gift again! Who are you really...?”

Li Xueshu stepped forward calmly. The ice shield before her split apart, and fresh ice spears formed and hovered at her side.

“Now you’ve seen it.”

Gao Yue’s expression changed dramatically. She raised her hand, the black bracelet on her wrist once more flaring with intricate streams of enchanted light.

At the same time, the special watery ripple barrier formed again in front of her.

“Foolish,” Li Xueshu shook her head, extending a finger.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The ice spears shot out, shattering Gao Yue’s barrier in a blink. Blood blossomed as Gao Yue’s body was hurled high into the air.

“Can’t win!” Gao Yue wiped the blood from her lips, scrambling toward the villa.

But before she could run far, another icy flash flew past, sending her sprawling to the ground again.

Blood stained the snow, stark and vivid.

Crunch, crunch.

Li Xueshu strode forward, quickly reaching Gao Yue.

She raised her palm, another ice spear hovering before her.

Gao Yue’s monocle was shattered, her face twisted as she looked up.

“Do you know who I am? I am the new ‘Witch’s Vessel’ of the Free Alliance, one of the hosts of the great ‘Flame Witch’—she is a peerless master of the sixth realm! If you dare strike me, you challenge the Free Alliance and the Flame Witch herself. That master will never forgive you... All of Biyang City cannot withstand her wrath!”

Li Xueshu regarded Gao Yue quietly, waiting for her to finish her threat before raising her hand with indifference. “Are you done?”

Gao Yue froze.

Whoosh!

An ice spear shot out, piercing Gao Yue’s skull. Her eyes went blank, and she collapsed to the ground.