Chapter 943: Martial Sister
As the purple sword ray descended, the golden core cultivator instantly recognized that Ye Mo was not a Foundation Establishment Stage Level 7 cultivator. No matter how prodigious a Level 7 cultivator might be, they could not wield a sword ray of such caliber. However, there was no time for contemplation. He spat out essence blood, recalling his flag. Initially, the formation resisted, but the burning essence blood overcame it in an instant.
The flag intercepted Ye Mo's purple sword rays. A deafening screech erupted from the collision. Ye Mo felt his cultivation essence surge, nearly causing him to vomit blood. But the flag's effects were far from over. The screeching sound intensified, summoning something hellish, causing Ye Mo's head to swim.
His strong soul quickly grasped the situation: the flag aimed to draw his soul into the formation—a gross underestimation of his array. He deployed more formation flags, causing Zi Xu to blaze brighter. Countless yellow light rays erupted from the formation, sweeping across the flag once more.
This time, Ye Mo employed the Illusion Cloud Essence Binding Strike. At his current power, it could only briefly restrain the cultivation essence of a peak golden core cultivator, but it was sufficient. Shadowless had already acted. Their countless collaborations made Shadowless highly proficient in such maneuvers. Ye Mo knew that without the formation, stopping the flag, let alone binding the peak golden core cultivator, would have been far more difficult.
The golden core cultivator sensed a momentary pause in his cultivation essence. Alarm bells rang. He was a battle-hardened veteran, yet he felt fear towards Ye Mo for the first time. This cultivator possessed a seemingly inexhaustible arsenal of unpredictable methods.
Attempting to flee and reclaim his flag, he felt a searing pain in his meridians, as if vast quantities of essence blood were being devoured. He realized this was Ye Mo's killing blow. Staying meant certain death. Abandoning the flag, he poured all his cultivation essence into protecting Shadowless and attempted a desperate escape.
This was Shadowless's first experience being enveloped in cultivation essence. While the cultivator possessed means to expel it, he could not break free from the binding. In his panic, he forgot Ye Mo's defensive formation.
With a resounding rumble, the golden core cultivator crashed into the formation, causing it to tremble. He finally understood Ye Mo's confidence—his cultivation essence was comparable, and his arsenal was far superior. Escape from the formation became paramount; he had never imagined a formation he initially dismissed would become a matter of life and death.
He drew his flying sword, only to find himself facing an onslaught of purple sword rays, forcing him to defend instead of attacking the formation. As he focused on escaping, Shadowless slipped away, and with the added strain of defense, it instantly broke free and began devouring his dantian. His flying sword was consumed by Ye Mo's sword rays. Regret filled his eyes. It was too late.
The purple sword rays rained down, and the cultivator withered. Ye Mo retrieved the flag and storage ring, finally able to breathe easily. He didn't examine the ring immediately; a masked woman observed from outside.
She had witnessed the explosions and the trembling formation. Just as she prepared to investigate, the formation vanished, revealing the Foundation Establishment Stage Level 8 cultivator—but the golden core cultivator was gone. She saw Ye Mo emerge alone, stowing away the formation flags. Hesitantly, she asked, "Did you… kill him? You actually killed him?"
"Yes," Ye Mo replied, then studied her. He didn't recognize her, yet she seemed familiar with him. He asked casually, "Do you know me? Have you seen me before?"
She nodded. "Yes, I've seen you. You're from the Zheng Yuan Sword Sect. You killed Li Baisen outside the sect."
Ye Mo was surprised. He hadn't realized someone had witnessed his fight with Li Baisen. If she'd wanted to kill him then, it would have been simple.
Understanding his thoughts, she calmly stated, "If I had wanted to kill you then, I would have."
"Who are you? How do you know Li Baisen?" Ye Mo asked coldly.
Her tone remained calm. "I know Li Baisen because I'm also from the Zheng Yuan Sword Sect. As a fellow sect member, what do you think I would do upon encountering the killer of a core disciple?"
Ye Mo laughed. "That's old news! Besides Li Baisen, I also killed Ji Changsheng." He summoned Zi Xu and said calmly, "If you wish to fight, proceed."
The masked woman was stunned but showed no intention of fighting. After a long pause, she murmured, "You… killed Li Changsheng? That's right! You just killed a peak golden core cultivator."
"Did you know his surname is Li?" Ye Mo asked, perplexed. Theoretically, besides Li Yuyan and himself, nobody knew Ji Changsheng's true identity.
She bowed. "Thank you for killing Li Changsheng. I'm Fu Yishuang. You've likely heard of me."
Fu Yishuang? Ye Mo recognized the name. He studied her and hesitantly asked, "Aren't you the Chi Gathering State Hall of Fame's number one? How did you become a golden core cultivator?"
Fu Yishuang smiled. "When I left the sect two years ago, I was at Foundation Establishment Stage Level 7. I haven't returned since. Upon reaching Golden Core Stage Level 1, I intended to pursue Li Baisen, but I witnessed your battle with him."
Ye Mo realized Fu Yishuang also harbored a vendetta against Li Baisen, preventing her return to the sect. Strictly speaking, she was his martial sister.