Chapter 3: Beat Them All Back

She effortlessly gathered the spiritual energy in her hand, and with a wave of her slender fingers, a strand of purplish-red spiritual energy materialized in the air like a vine whip, lashing viciously toward Hua Linghuai's back.

Hua Linghuai was, after all, at the first stage of spiritual power. She barely managed to dodge, but was still struck by Huan Yao's spiritual energy. A whip mark instantly appeared on her back, tearing her clothes and splitting her skin.

Aside from pain, Hua Linghuai's face was filled with utter horror. This piece of trash—how had she advanced to the third stage of the Red Rank overnight?

No, impossible. This was absolutely impossible!

Hua Linghuai concentrated all the spiritual energy in her dantian and unleashed her signature ultimate technique—Fire Cloud Palm!

A scorching small fireball, like a blazing sun, emerged from Hua Linghuai's palm, tracing a perfect arc through the air before smashing straight toward Huan Yao.

This time, if she didn't burn Hua Jinsè to ashes, she would renounce the surname Hua.

This Fire Burning Palm was arguably the best Hua Linghuai had ever executed; its shape was perfectly round like never before, its color more vivid than ever.

Huan Yao smiled coldly, quirking an eyebrow. With a slight step in midair, she effortlessly dodged the scorching fireball, then waved her hand and unleashed an Ice Soul Palm.

Within a five-meter radius centered on Huan Yao, a sudden chill descended, as if the season had instantly shifted from late autumn to the dead of winter.

An ice sphere the size of a water vat instantly engulfed Hua Linghuai's fireball.

The scorching fireball instantly turned into a mass of ice, crashing heavily toward Hua Linghuai.

Before Hua Linghuai could react, the ice sphere slammed into her. In an instant, from head to toe, she became a human ice sculpture!

The onlookers were even more horrified. Was this terrifying third-stage Water-element cultivator of the Red Rank truly the number one waste of Xiyue Kingdom, Hua Jinsè?

Yet Huan Yao didn't even bat an eyelid. She casually smoothed her tattered clothes and walked out from under the crowd's shocked gazes.

If this were at Qiming Waterside Pavilion, would these wastes even warrant her personal action?

But she had no time to waste on these wastes either. She had to return to Qiming Waterside Pavilion as soon as possible!

"Yun Juechen, when I return, I will exterminate your entire Yun clan." A ruthless glint curved on Huan Yao's pale lips.

Meeting the North Ming King, the number one beauty of Xiyue Kingdom, was purely an accident. And in that very accident, the two who should have been enemies—the North Ming King saved her.

So she owed the North Ming King a debt of gratitude!

Six months later, the North Ming King sought her out at Qiming Waterside Pavilion to collect that debt. The price: a Red Spirit Fruit that could enhance a cultivator's spiritual power, which only grew one stalk every hundred years.

Who knew this person was actually an impostor—Yun Juechen in disguise!

Thinking of this, Huan Yao's clear eyes flashed with a cold light, countless killing intent bursting forth from their depths.

"Miss, look—isn't that the Eldest Miss of the Hua family, the one the Young Master broke off the engagement with three years ago?" A young maid's mocking voice rang out from the city gate ahead.

Immediately, the young maid walked up to Huan Yao and sneered, "Hey, trash. My miss told you not to appear before her again. Are your ears—"

The young maid's vulgar insults were cut short as Huan Yao raised the back of her hand and slapped her hard across the face.

The maid's cheeks instantly swelled red and bled, her head spinning. Only then did Huan Yao lower her hand.

"You piece of trash! You dare strike my maid? You're courting death!" A delicate figure emerged from an exquisite orange-yellow palanquin, clad in a pale yellow cloud-gauze skirt that made her skin appear as tender as water droplets.

Her features were gorgeous, but her words were utterly shrewish.

As she spoke, she drew a deep red long whip from her waist, brandishing it with bared fangs and claws as she lashed out at Huan Yao.