Unexpectedly, the elusive shadow seemed alive, matching his motion. It descended as well, continuing toward his sword.
In a flash, the shadow reflected on the cold blade. Everlasting Longing had already latched onto the sword!
With it came a surge of internal energy, forceful and relentless, attempting to wrest the sword from his grasp. It was Han Shui Palace’s famed technique, Entwining Softness!
The Moon Envoy had never failed when using Everlasting Longing to disarm opponents. It was a celebrated skill of Han Shui Palace. Sensing resistance, she directed her internal energy to its peak.
Yet as Everlasting Longing clung to the sword and pulled, she realized with shock that there was no internal energy on the blade.
–– Could it be that her opponent’s energy had vanished completely in an instant?
As Everlasting Longing latched onto the sword and attempted to claim it, the weapon unexpectedly slipped from Zhan Ri Fei’s hand and flew directly toward her!
The Moon Envoy’s mind raced, and her response was swift. With a deft maneuver, Everlasting Longing coiled around the flying sword and redirected it in a slanted thrust back at Zhan Ri Fei.
But she was fast, and he was faster.
Using the momentum, he sidestepped. With a gesture of his right hand, he guided the sword back, his left hand flicking lightly. The timing was impeccable, striking the moment when Everlasting Longing transitioned between its fading old force and its yet-to-emerge new energy.
With a sharp “clang,” Everlasting Longing in the Moon Envoy’s left hand recoiled as if struck by lightning, almost slipping from her grasp.
Without turning, Zhan Ri Fei’s right hand held the longsword in a reverse grip, simultaneously countering the force of her Entwining Softness from her right hand.
To an observer, it looked as if the Moon Envoy had first seized his sword, only to hand it back to him immediately.
For the first time since its creation a century ago, the Everlasting Longing technique driven by Entwining Softness had failed to achieve its goal.
The Moon Envoy’s coquettish laughter vanished.
For a moment, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Her opponent’s ability to adapt was far beyond her expectations.
Zhan Ri Fei, too, was slightly surprised.
His flick hadn’t managed to dislodge Everlasting Longing. The Moon Envoy of Han Shui Palace truly lived up to her reputation.
The weapon Everlasting Longing was unnervingly elusive. Its formless and invisible nature forced him to lag behind her moves, making it difficult to seize the initiative.
Earlier, he had deliberately allowed his sword to fall into Everlasting Longing’s grasp, anticipating that the Moon Envoy would use it to control his weapon. This gave him a chance to observe Everlasting Longing’s techniques and attempt to counterattack. However, he hadn’t expected her internal energy to be so extraordinary. Even with his calculated flick, he couldn’t disarm her.
Momentarily startled, the Moon Envoy launched Everlasting Longing again. Her right hand extended, and Entwining Softness swiftly coiled around his longsword.
Everlasting Longing shifted midair, its movement as erratic and ghostly as a demon. The tip of the whip darted suddenly, heading straight for the boy behind him with lightning speed.
Zhan Ri Fei saw his sword ensnared by the Moon Envoy’s Entwining Softness and realized he couldn’t free it in time. Meanwhile, Everlasting Longing had already streaked past him. Yet, in that fleeting moment, he discerned its trajectory by sound alone.
Without turning, he tapped his right foot against the ground. A pebble shot backward with remarkable speed, striking the whip’s tip with a sharp “crack.” Everlasting Longing immediately lost its aim.
However, the Moon Envoy’s mastery of Entwining Softness was unparalleled. Although Everlasting Longing missed its mark, its momentum did not falter. In an inexplicable twist, it arched into a half-circle and suddenly surged sideways, slashing toward him from an unexpected angle.
Under the Moon Envoy’s control, Everlasting Longing was as unpredictable and menacing as a ghost, impossible to guard against.
But Zhan Ri Fei’s movement suddenly slowed!
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