Chapter Fifty-Nine: Meeting Again

In the blink of an eye, out of the five members on Li Sibai’s side, all but himself were wounded and bleeding. The only reason he remained unscathed was not due to any remarkable strength of his own, but because their opponents did not consider him a threat worthy of their attention.

Yao Xueqing and Ye Chunqiao, faces flushed with anger, were about to charge forward and fight Guo Jian and the others with their lives, only to discover, as they tried to channel their inner energy, that their true energy was in turmoil and would not flow as it should. Glancing down, they saw dark blood oozing from their wounds and instantly realized they had been poisoned.

The two women sat down quickly to meditate and force out the toxin, but for the moment, they had lost all ability to fight.

Meanwhile, Guo Jian and Yan Jie had not been idle. With He Tianshu’s team nearly dealt with, they focused their attention on the Stone Fiend. Guo Jian truly was formidable—though the Stone Fiend had regenerative powers, Guo Jian’s agile movements allowed him to dodge its attacks and land blows in return, while Yan Jie, ever the opportunist, would strike when least expected. The two of them kept the Stone Fiend encircled and, in a flash, inflicted several more wounds. Though it could regenerate, the process seemed to take some time.

He Tianshu, meanwhile, had recovered from the worst of his injuries; while the Stone Fiend had shattered his protective aura, most of the force had been absorbed, leaving him only lightly wounded. He now checked on Yao Xueqing and Ye Chunqiao. Both were poisoned, but fortunately, the toxin was not lethal—it merely prevented them from using their true energy for the time being. It seemed Guo Jian and his cohort, mindful of their shared sect, had spared their lives, only rendering them temporarily powerless.

Relieved, He Tianshu approached Li Sibai, who was barely restraining himself, and gave him a meaningful glance, whispering, “Junior Brother Li, while they’re caught up in the fight, slip over and pick the Ice Soul Grass. I’ll keep their attention on me.”

Li Sibai, at a loss for what to do, nodded vigorously. He circled quietly around the edge of the battlefield toward the Ice Soul Grass.

Guo Jian, Yan Jie, and the Stone Fiend were still locked in fierce combat. Though they struck the creature hard several times, it stubbornly refused to die, and with each regeneration, its aura grew more imposing, much to their frustration.

He Tianshu now walked over to Guo Jian and said, “Senior Brother Guo, if I recall correctly, the Stone Fiend’s weakness is its head. Only by severing it can we stop its regeneration.”

Guo Jian frowned. He doubted He Tianshu had come to help, but with no better options and time slipping away, he replied, “The two of us can’t do it alone. Junior Brother He, why not help us take its head?” He burst out laughing, hardly believing He Tianshu would truly assist.

He then maneuvered the Stone Fiend in He Tianshu’s direction, not wanting him to reap the spoils of their efforts.

He Tianshu had anticipated this and was only too happy to draw their attention, giving Li Sibai the opening he needed.

Now, with He Tianshu joining Guo Jian and Yan Jie, the three of them—all at least at the fourth level of the Heart of the Zither stage—attacked the Stone Fiend in concert. The creature, assailed from all sides, was soon struck repeatedly, even in the head, though none of their blows managed to sever it.

Meanwhile, Li Sibai began digging for the Ice Soul Grass. He hid himself well, and with the battle raging, no one spared a glance for the unremarkable junior disciple.

But just then, a chill wind swept past him. Li Sibai hastily sidestepped, narrowly evading a strike. The Xuantian Sword in his hand flared with gold, its red and white lightning flickering. Looking up, he saw the object that had attacked him double back and fly at his face once more. He raised his sword and deflected it with a clang. The weapon didn’t fall, but instead circled back to its master, revealing itself as a spirit-forged artifact.

Li Sibai now saw a young woman approaching, dressed in water-green, her features delicate and lovely, her large, limpid eyes fixed on him with a playful smile. Four men followed her—three in black and one elderly—faces Li Sibai recognized from the Drunken Immortal Tavern.

The weapon that had attacked him was in her hand—a pair of Emei daggers.

Li Sibai drew a sharp breath. He had not expected to encounter them here. The woman in green laughed softly, “We meet again, young master.”

He guessed at once why they had come—surely to vie for the Ice Soul Grass. They were clearly not disciples of his own sect. Meeting her gaze, his demeanor turned cold. He snorted and said, “Are you here to claim the Ice Soul Grass?”

The woman smiled undisturbed, “Would you be willing to part with it?”

Li Sibai had no intention of relinquishing such a prize, but now, alone and surrounded by five adversaries, with He Tianshu’s group’s fate uncertain, he hesitated.

Yet, recalling his wounded companions and the heavy toll their mission had already taken, Li Sibai steeled his resolve. If he could not secure the Ice Soul Grass, it would be too cruel a blow. He made up his mind to defend it at all costs.

“Come and take it, if you can!” The Xuantian Sword blazed gold in his grip as he prepared to fight.

On the other side, Guo Jian and He Tianshu sensed the new arrivals. He Tianshu was resigned; their situation could hardly get worse, and it was likely their team would fail the mission. Guo Jian, however, was uneasy—this sudden group unsettled him, and he feared his prize would slip away. Worse yet, Li Sibai was already near the Ice Soul Grass; he realized he had been careless.

He signaled Yan Jie to attack the Stone Fiend’s head, intending to end the battle quickly. Though He Tianshu had previously revealed the method, Guo Jian had been wary of trusting him and had not attempted to sever the head. But with the situation changed, both Guo Jian and Yan Jie focused their attacks on the fiend’s head.

After two exchanges, Yan Jie seized the opportunity—his sword flashed, and the Stone Fiend’s head flew from its shoulders. The fiend’s body stiffened, then collapsed in a heap.

Guo Jian finally let out a breath of relief. “So much for that!”