Chapter Sixty-One: Ice Magic
Li Sibai held the Xuantian Sword in his hand, gazing at the girl before him.
She wore a pale green dress that fluttered in the wind; her short hair was cut to the shoulders, and her large, expressive eyes seemed to speak, smiling at Li Sibai just as she had that night at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
But the pair of Emei daggers in her hands gleamed coldly, reflecting a chill that seemed to remind Li Sibai this was a duel he must win.
Li Sibai hesitated for a moment, then announced his name:
“I am Li Sibai of the Xuantian Sword Sect. Please, let’s spar.”
The girl appeared to repeat his name under her breath, but did not offer her own.
“Li Sibai, is it? Good. Don’t hold back,” she said, blinking playfully. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by a look of earnestness as she fixed her gaze upon him.
Li Sibai immediately felt a surge of pressure—a change in atmosphere entirely different from before. He grew serious at once; although his opponent was a young woman, she was not to be underestimated.
They soon began to fight.
Her moves were most peculiar. She seemed to recognize the formidable weight of Li Sibai’s sword, so she adopted a strategy of evasion, using nimble footwork to circle him, never confronting his strength head-on.
She leapt and darted left and right, her Emei daggers always targeting Li Sibai’s vital points.
Li Sibai found himself troubled. Her agility far surpassed his own, and her daggers favored close-range attacks. He could only defend, constantly using his sword to block, but each time he tried, she would shift her tactics, launching a new wave of attacks.
After just a dozen exchanges, Li Sibai was falling behind, on the verge of defeat.
He Tianshu watched from behind, his brows furrowed with concern.
Guo Jian, however, seemed unconcerned. He had never thought highly of Li Sibai; he’d wanted He Tianshu to fight, but He Tianshu had sent Li Sibai to test the waters. If he lost, so be it.
On the opposite side, the old man’s face remained expressionless, betraying nothing of his thoughts.
Though Li Sibai was at a disadvantage, he did not panic. Suddenly, the Xuantian Sword in his hand altered its technique.
This time, he did not attempt to clash with the girl’s Emei daggers. Instead, he switched from defense to offense, executing White Rainbow Pierces the Sun, thrusting straight for her throat—a reckless attack, trading life for life.
The girl saw he was desperate and quickly leaped back, dodging the strike.
Having gained the initiative, Li Sibai pressed his advantage. He unleashed the latter six moves of the Xuantian Sword Technique, following up with Vital Energy Pierces the Rainbow, continuing his assault without giving her a chance to breathe. Now, the girl could only dodge frantically, unable to close in.
The latter six moves of the Xuantian Sword Technique were known for their unpredictable variations. Li Sibai had not used them earlier, which left him vulnerable. Now, with his all-or-nothing approach, he seized control, maintaining relentless pressure.
The tide turned abruptly. Li Sibai’s momentum soared, his sword whistling through the air, while the girl in green could only evade, narrowly escaping several blows.
He Tianshu was overjoyed, thinking he had judged Li Sibai correctly—bringing him along had some merit after all.
Guo Jian was unimpressed, thinking Li Sibai was bullying a young girl, fighting recklessly—such behavior was shameless.
The old man across from them watched with an unchanged expression, seemingly unconcerned.
Suddenly, the girl spun her Emei daggers, joining them together to form a new weapon—like a sword, but much longer than a typical blade.
Li Sibai attacked, but the girl held her new sword horizontally before her, which began to float in front of her face. Her hands rapidly formed seals, and the surrounding snow responded to the sword’s call, rising swiftly before solidifying into ice. An ice wall instantly materialized between her and Li Sibai.
A crisp clang rang out, followed by the sound of cracking—the ice wall had absorbed Li Sibai’s blow, showing cracks but successfully blocking the attack.
Li Sibai was stunned; he hadn’t expected that the young girl, despite her age, possessed the rare affinity for ice.
But before he could think further, the ice wall dispersed, breaking into countless ice spheres, each the size of a fist.
Her long sword had already returned to her hand. With a point and a thrust, she sent the ice spheres hurtling toward Li Sibai.
Li Sibai cursed inwardly. There was no way to dodge; he had not yet advanced enough to shield himself with true energy.
He could only wield his Xuantian Sword, slashing at the incoming spheres, hoping to deflect as many as possible.
Despite his efforts, more than a dozen struck him. Though the ice spheres were small, each impact hurt, leaving Li Sibai grimacing in pain.
Fortunately, they were not sharp weapons, and his own body was resilient. Though he was left with bruises, there was no bleeding.
Behind him, He Tianshu and Guo Jian were both startled. This young girl, so inexperienced, already commanded ice magic—she was beyond their understanding. No wonder this group had come to seize the Ice Spirit Grass. On this snowy mountain, ice arts were perfectly suited, drawing upon inexhaustible natural resources. In such conditions, facing an opponent with mastery over ice, Li Sibai was doomed to defeat.
He Tianshu thought to call Li Sibai back and take his place, but before he could speak, Guo Jian stopped him. “Brother He, don’t rush. The outcome isn’t settled yet. Let’s wait.”
He Tianshu looked at Guo Jian in confusion, unable to fathom his intentions. The result seemed obvious, yet Guo Jian insisted on waiting. Still, he paused.
The old man across the way now wore a faint smile, evidently satisfied with the girl’s performance and confident of victory.
Li Sibai had suffered a setback, but was not seriously injured. With both sides pausing their attacks, he pondered how to win this duel.
It was clear the enemy had the upper hand, yet they were willing to engage in a fair one-on-one contest, showing some sense of honor. The girl, however, wielded ice techniques—rare arts he had heard of but never seen. Such magic was not among the usual wind, thunder, water, fire, or earth, but belonged to an uncommon class, cultivated only by a few rare bloodlines. This was indeed intriguing.