Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for each novel.
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
Three options.
Two skills—one for enhancing agility.
The rewards are quite appealing.
One skill to restrain enemies, another to escape dire situations.
As for the remaining option, increasing agility naturally speaks for itself.
"However... this is not the place for a fight. One misstep could lead to yet another disaster."
Bochang wasn't certain if he could instantly defeat these two opponents.
Using his Time Stop ability might be effective.
But...
If it failed, Exalting Sanctum would face yet another calamity.
Since Luocha brought the Stellaron onto Xianzhou Luofu,
he could potentially be the Fertility Envoy that Jing Yuan has been worried about—a formidable adversary not to be underestimated.
As for this peculiar woman,
even without her making a move,
Bochang sensed an overwhelming sword intent from her, clearly indicating she was no ordinary opponent.
"If I truly engage with them, obtaining the 'Draw Prison' skill is crucial. It will help minimize harm to innocent bystanders. Come to think of it... why haven't the Stellaron Hunters responded to such a situation?"
Bochang's thoughts raced with conflicting emotions before ultimately choosing Option 1.
The corner of Bochang's mouth gently lifted as he said, "Friends? We're hardly friends... Luocha, if I'm not mistaken, it was you who brought the Stellaron onto Xianzhou Luofu, wasn't it?"
Luocha's smile vanished instantly.
They believed their actions to be well-hidden; how could anyone possibly know they had smuggled the Stellaron aboard?
However...
Bochang didn't learn this from people but through small animals.
[Rewards being distributed—Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill, Barriers of Earth.]
Luocha met Bochang's gaze and slowly began speaking.
"Although I don't know how you found out, since you've guessed correctly, let me be honest with you."
"Yes, it was I who brought the Stellaron onto the Xianzhou, but I am also Yaoshi's enemy.
"Bochang, rest assured, I am not aligned with Abundance."
A moment of silence ensued.
Bochang hadn't anticipated Luocha's swift admission.
"It matters little to me whether you stand with Abundance or are Yaoshi's enemy, Luocha... All I know is that your introduction of the Stellaron onto Xianzhou Luofu led to these calamities. Do you still have any excuses to offer?"
"That's correct; I admit...I did bring some trouble to Xianzhou Luofu," Luocha continued. "However...with me still here, even if things spiral out of control, I can certainly help the Xianzhou overcome adversity." Spreading her arms wide, she added, "Bochang, you must understand, to counter Yaoshi...such insignificant sacrifices are necessary."
The corner of Bochang's mouth twitched slightly.
If Welt Yang were to hear these words, he might instantly erupt with violence.
"Luocha, you're meddling too much," Jingliu said sternly, summoning a frost-like longsword with a wave of her hand.
Luocha turned slightly. "I had no intention of witnessing your dispute."
"If you hadn't intervened...at most, I would have just tested his mettle with a single strike. But now that he knows our affairs, how can we let him leave so easily?" Jingliu's voice grew colder, chilling the surrounding air as if countless ice crystals were descending.
Bochang narrowed his eyes and retorted, "Such arrogance! Do you truly believe you can stop me?"
"Whether I can stop you or not, we'll only know by trying." Jingliu took a cautious step forward.
Given their earlier encounter...
Jingliu was now highly vigilant.
This time, Luocha remained silent, seemingly acquiescing to Jingliu's approach.
"It's no longer on the main path... Even if a fight breaks out here, it shouldn't cause major issues. Besides, I now have an additional skill to control enemies."
Bochang activated his ability - Barriers of Earth.
A faint red glow emanated from him at its center and rapidly spread outward.
Before either Luocha or Jingliu could react, a potent confinement fell upon them. They found themselves trapped within a hundred-meter radius centered around Bochang, unable to escape.
"What is this..." Luocha felt slightly exasperated.
He was aware that Bochang possessed peculiar abilities, gleaned partly from Sushang's information. With Bochang having a teleportation ring, he proved exceptionally difficult to handle. If Bochang truly intended to flee, Luocha believed neither he nor Jingliu could stop him. Thus, engaging Bochang as an enemy was undesirable.
However...
Jingliu paid little heed to such concerns.
On impulse, Luocha decided to confront them directly.
However, when he tried to mediate, Bochang and Jingliu showed no willingness to cooperate.
Now things were getting complicated.
Bochang drew his Vow Spear from his pouch and asked, "Next... will you attack together or one at a time?"
Facing someone who might be an Emanator like Luocha, Bochang summoned all his focus, giving it two hundred percent effort.
"Little Brother, let me teach you some humility before you get too full of yourself." Jingliu's stance subtly shifted, indicating she was about to strike with her sword.
Bochang's Spider Sense triggered a warning, causing his pupils to slightly contract. While keeping a close eye on Jingliu, he also remained vigilant against Luocha.
Contrary to advancing, the golden-haired man took a step back. "This is between you; I won't interfere," Luocha stated.
Would Bochang believe him? Of course not. Luocha might be contemplating how to launch a sneak attack...
Bochang's vision blurred as Jingliu initiated her attack. With her icy longsword held behind her, she lightly tapped the ground with her black boots before swiftly charging forward.
Unlike Himeko, Serval, and Cocolia, who had fuller, more mature figures, Jingliu resembled a slender young girl. Her limbs were elongated, her figure slim, and every movement exuded gracefulness.
A thrust.
A slash.
Two simple yet unadorned moves, infused with such intense cold that they sent shivers throughout one's body. Even the surrounding air seemed to freeze over.
Bochang parried the attacks with his Vow Spear, resulting in sharp "pings" and "bangs."
Two strikes, four strikes, eight strikes...
Jingliu's onslaught flowed like a raging river, relentless and continuous, causing frost to accumulate steadily around her each strike.
Bochang defended flawlessly, gradually retreating with every step cracking the ground beneath him—a method to dissipate force.
If this continued,
Jingliu would undoubtedly run out of stamina first.
Neither combatant exerted great strength nor utilized much power from their fate paths. Instead, they primarily relied on skill for their sparring match.
Amidst the crisp metallic clanging,
numerous ice crystals had formed on Bochang's Vow Spear, hindering its use to some extent.
Thus...
Bochang broke the stalemate first.
"Not bad, your skills are impressive."
Flames blazed fiercely around Bochang as he swung the Vow Spear, melting the ice crystals effortlessly. With a sweeping thrust, he forced Jingliu back.
After these initial probing exchanges,
Jingliu realized that her opponent was significantly stronger than anticipated.
The combination of Justice's Companion and Big sister Slayer buffs proved formidable.
Facing Jingliu, Bochang's attack power had quadrupled, making them formidable indeed.
With such enhanced strength, Bochang could even challenge an Emanator, let alone Jingliu.
Luocha looked on with surprise.
Despite Jingliu's exceptional swordsmanship, they were evenly matched against Bochang.