Chapter 1317: I Didn't Mean To

Hearing the shouts, Senior Sister Water looked back with a ghostly expression at the young man who was cheering enthusiastically, and couldn't hold back any longer, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Damn it...

Other people's partners were reliable experts, but this guy—what the hell was he?

Go for it, Bazhahei...

Bazha your ancestor's wooden board!

I'm about to be beaten to death, and I asked you to fight, but instead of joining in, you just stand there shouting... Do I need you to cheer me on?

What I need is action, action, action!

Her delicate body trembling with rage, Senior Sister Water felt she was going crazy.

In the Righteous Hall assessment, entering one after the other, the assessment alley automatically determines cooperation—anyone from the Saint Son Hall knows this. Even if they didn't, they'd surely ask... We've already activated dual mode and started fighting monsters together, but you stand there motionless like you're hanging, is this how you cooperate?

She had thought this guy was cooperating to win her favor, but now it seemed he had no such intention... This wasn't winning her heart, it was taking her life!

Otherwise, why would he lure two puppets and then not even step up?

Whoosh!

Her mind was about to explode, and she wanted to curse, but the puppet in front gave her no chance to catch her breath. The first one that came out punched again, crushing toward her.

The surrounding air was compressed as if it might explode at any moment. Knowing that if she got distracted again, she might be killed on the spot, Senior Sister Water's hairs stood on end. She once again used her secret technique, twisting her delicate body like a water snake, spinning in the air a few times, barely escaping from under the fist wind in a flustered manner.

Stopping, she panted heavily, her face even paler.

Her secret technique relied on bloodline power, and each use cost her greatly, requiring a long rest to recover. During this month's assessment, she hadn't used it... She had thought that today, after adapting to the opponent's tactics, she would pass in one go and set a record...

Never in her dreams did she expect to be dragged down by this fool, forced to fight two puppets alone, using the technique twice in a row, her stamina nearing its limit.

"No good, if this continues, I'll be killed. Should I concede?"

Her face pale, she clenched her delicate fists, her eyes full of unwillingness.

After challenging for a month, she had finally familiarized herself with all the opponent's moves. She had thought that today, using her bloodline power, she could easily pass... but this outcome was not what she wanted to see!

Once she used her bloodline, she couldn't come back for at least a month... The delay would be too costly.

"Let that guy draw one away... I'll find a way to take down one, then the rest will be easy!"

Panting heavily, she pondered in her mind.

Conceding was truly unwilling, so she had to take a risk.

The guy who had been shouting 'Go for it' and 'Bazhahei' from the sidelines was really unreliable, but if she lured the puppet over, as her partner, he would inevitably be attacked too. As long as she could tie one down, she could find a way to defeat it!

Then they could focus on the other one together, perhaps... changing the current crisis and winning in one go.

Of course, luring the puppet to him would put him in danger, but she had no other choice now!

"If this reliable guy can hold on for a dozen breaths... I can use the method I devised earlier to defeat one puppet, and then I should be able to save him in time... Hmph, it's his fault for harming me, suffering a bit won't hurt!"

She snorted lightly, having made up her mind.

With that thought, she didn't hesitate. Her delicate body trembled slightly, shaking like a violin string.

Whoosh!

Using some unknown movement technique, her body stretched and rebounded like a rubber band, disappearing from her spot in an instant, and the next moment, she appeared not far from Zhang Xuan.

"Go for it..."

Zhang Xuan was still shouting when he saw her suddenly appear in front of him, and couldn't help but be startled.

"Help me deal with one!"

Seeing his bewildered expression, though angry, Senior Sister Water knew she was somewhat guilty of harming him, so she couldn't help but remind him.

"Deal with?"

Zhang Xuan was still puzzled when the two puppets rushed up to him, a fierce pressure flooding his body.

Crack!

One of the puppets punched straight at his head.

"This... counts as cheating, right?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

He was just here to watch the fun, be a bystander, and learn. Luring the puppet to him—wasn't that helping her pass?

Wouldn't that get him disqualified?

But seeing the speed of the puppet's attack, he knew this wasn't the time to wonder. He dodged the attack with a flick of his head, while looking toward the girl not far away.

He saw her fighting the other puppet.

She spat out a mouthful of blood, and a special power surged up rapidly, as if her strength had changed in an instant.

"Just to pass an alley... is it worth this much sacrifice?"

Knowing she must have used an even more powerful secret technique than before, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Secret techniques might temporarily boost strength, but they also had major drawbacks.

The harm to the body was too great. Once it ended, it was easy for the spirit, true qi, and physical body to collapse completely, making recovery difficult in a short time, and even affecting lifespan.

That's why he never used them.

Of course... the main reason was that he didn't know any.

This woman in front of him had used the technique several times in a row, even coughing up blood, and she was still going at it—she was practically fighting for her life!

Shaking his head, just as he was wondering how to help, the puppet in front of him roared again and charged fiercely.

Missing with its punch made it very angry.

"Hold on, you're her assessment target, not mine. You've got the wrong person..."

Sticking out a finger, Zhang Xuan pressed it against the puppet's charging head, keeping it struggling but unable to advance, while patiently lecturing it.

Who designed this passage? The puppet's eyes were really blind!

He had just followed in to watch her assessment and how she would pass. The assessment hadn't even started, and this thing was already throwing punches and roaring at him—what was it doing?

Roar! Roar!

Blocked by a single finger, the puppet was furious, its explosive aura surging everywhere. It channeled all its power to its limit, its arms swinging rapidly like flywheels.

But with its head pinned by Zhang Xuan's finger, no matter how fast its arms swung, they couldn't touch him.

Instead, it was like a fan, quite cooling.

"This shouldn't count as fighting, right? No violation..."

Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

The puppet attacked him, but he didn't counterattack; he just immobilized it. That shouldn't be judged as disrupting the assessment. Otherwise, if he lost his qualification, wouldn't this trip be in vain?

Having controlled this puppet, he looked back at the girl and the other puppet fighting.

Senior Sister Water, having used her secret technique, looked terrible, but her strength had soared, especially her attack power, which was nearly double what it was before.

Bang bang bang bang!

Earlier, she had been dodging and looking for chances to counterattack, but now she was meeting the puppet head-on, the air around them exploding, the formation even shaking.

"This secret technique is strong, but... she specializes in water-attributed techniques. Meeting force with force is abandoning the fundamentals..."

Zhang Xuan frowned.

His understanding of combat now, even without the library or the Eye of Insight, had reached the Grandmaster level. This girl practiced water-attributed techniques. Water embraces all things, but she was using it to clash head-on...

That clearly violated the most basic principle.

"Although this can defeat the puppet quickly... she'll suffer backlash from her technique, and even her confidence might be shaken..."

For a cultivator, the most important thing is confidence in their technique. She practiced water-soft techniques, but through special methods, she became rigid and hard, like steel—clearly going against her own beliefs.

Even if she could defeat the puppet, she would lose her conviction and persistence, causing great harm.

"Since I've seen it, it's not good to just stand by..."

Hesitating for a moment, shaking his head, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but speak: "Um... Senior Sister Water, that won't work!"

When it came down to it, he was still too soft-hearted.

But... he was just such a kind and compassionate person; he really couldn't change it.

"Won't work?"

Senior Sister Water, gritting her teeth and fighting the puppet, couldn't help but be startled.

She had thought that by luring a puppet over, the guy would be chased and scrambling, but she never expected his voice to be so clear, and for him to say she 'won't work'—what did he mean, she wouldn't work?

That word is better used on you!

Snorting inwardly, she still turned to glance in the direction of the voice.

Her body stiffened.

The puppet that had nearly beaten her to a pulp was now resting its head on his finger, flailing its arms like a shrew, its legs running nonstop, digging a big hole in the ground, but unable to get close to him.

What was going on?

When it was fighting me, wasn't it ferocious?

Why was it acting like a lover being coy now?

Could it be that this unremarkable guy, only at the initial stage of Out-of-Body Realm, wasn't here to cause trouble, but was... an expert?

Whoosh!

Too shocked to speak, the other puppet didn't wait for her and attacked again.

With no time to think, she had to meet it.

Because she was too hasty and not prepared, she stumbled back several steps.

"Where... am I not working?"

Feeling a tightness in her chest and her blood boiling, she barely held back the blood in her mouth, gritting her teeth.

"Meeting the puppet head-on is the wrong approach. With your strength, you can defeat it without doing that!"

Zhang Xuan explained.

Whoosh!

The wind howled as she was again swept by the puppet's fist wind, a bloody mark appearing on her face, stinging painfully.

Her figure flickered twice, dodging the attack, she clenched her silver teeth, unable to hold back any longer: "Then how do I fight?"

"Well... if I guide you, that doesn't count as cheating, right?"

Zhang Xuan hesitated.

"No..." Senior Sister Water's body swayed with anger.

In dual mode, two people fighting together didn't count as cheating, so guidance certainly wouldn't!

"That's good..."

Relieved, Zhang Xuan was about to share his combat insights when he heard the puppet in front of him, unable to contain itself any longer, let out a furious roar.

Roar!

It actually broke free from his finger's force and charged at him.

"What are you roaring about? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Frowning in displeasure, Zhang Xuan slapped it.

Slap!

The puppet's head spun twice on its neck and flew off.

Plop!

It fell to the ground, twitching, losing its combat ability.

"This..."

Not expecting that a casual slap would send the puppet's head flying, Zhang Xuan's eyes widened, his mouth twitching in embarrassment: "Seems I used too much force... I really didn't mean to..."