Chapter 738

Chapter 738: Ling’er’s Trial

“Ye Yun, there seem to be many stone pillars ahead. Could this be another trial ground?” Shui Lingling stared curiously at the seven stone pillars arranged in a circle, each carved with divine beasts and strange creatures so lifelike their eyes nearly tricked her into believing they were real.

“There’s something unusual here,” Ye Yun remarked, stepping closer to inspect the carvings. Though faint, the aura he sensed wasn’t feeble like a dying candle but more like the simmering warmth of early spring, brimming with latent energy.

“But it should still be manageable.” He chuckled and turned to Shui Lingling. “Ling’er, why not take the lead? Stepping inside will likely awaken the guardian spirit.”

“Doesn’t this seem dangerous? I think you’re lying!” Shui Lingling huffed, narrowing her eyes at him. “Are you just lazy and pushing the hard work onto me?”

“Consider it training,” Ye Yun said calmly.

“Hmph, what a flimsy excuse.” Despite her protests, Shui Lingling agreed. The monotonous scenery had bored her, and she’d rather fight than conjure illusions with her star power.

“Hehe, let’s see what this ‘Heavenly Immortal’ can do!” After reassuring Shui Yingying, Shui Lingling stepped onto a pillar. The ground trembled slightly, making her flinch. “Maybe just a quick test…”

“Where’s your backbone?” Ye Yun sighed. “If you surrender before fighting, don’t tell others we’ve met.”

“I’m deceiving the enemy!” Shui Lingling retorted, cheeks flushing.

Suddenly, the pillars shook violently, disrupting Ye Yun’s true qi flow. With a thunderous crack, the seven pillars shattered, revealing the carved beasts now fully alive.

“Roar!” The deafening roar shook the air. Dragon-serpent hybrids with stone scales and wings loomed, their oppressive aura unmistakable.

“This isn’t what I expected!” Shui Lingling grimaced. Though she’d anticipated fighting revived beasts, facing a pack was different. A snowy city materialized in her palm as starlight erupted behind her. “No holding back!”

Star power surged from her body, and her eyes turned icy. Shui Yingying watched from afar, noting her sister’s rare seriousness. “She’s unleashing the Starry Sky methods fully.”

“Impressive,” Ye Yun muttered as Shui Lingling grappled with a stone beast. She dodged its claws, leaped skyward, and snarled, “Break those wings!”

Starlight enveloped her fists as she slammed a stone eagle into the ground, crushing it beneath a cascade of celestial energy. Dust billowed, obscuring the battlefield until her silhouette emerged, battering statues like toys.

Ye Yun winced, recalling their first meeting. Had she fought like this then, his bones would’ve been pulp. Back then, summoning the Thunder Spirit had drained him completely—even a Nascent Soul-stage beast could’ve killed him.

Thankfully, his Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique accelerated his recovery. In spiritual-rich areas, he could replenish true qi and spiritual power swiftly, needing only the time of a burning incense stick to heal.

“Why won’t you die?!” Shui Lingling’s Stellar Body flared, her strikes growing fiercer. She pulverized a lion-tiger hybrid with a star-charged beam, reducing it to dust.

“She’s ruthless,” Ye Yun remarked. He’d forgotten her combat prowess, honed through countless battles. “Yingying, what role does Ling’er play in the Immortal Dao Sect?”

“Scared?” Shui Yingying teased. “Even geniuses must hunt the Demon Race to earn sect resources. No tasks, no spirit pills or Immortal artifacts.”

“Yet you call this ‘doing well’?” Ye Yun frowned.

“We’re alive, together, and thriving. That’s enough.” Shui Yingying smiled. “Besides, Ling’er has you to watch over her.”

As Shui Lingling’s final strike obliterated the last statue, she skipped back, grinning. “How was that?”

“Good, but tone down the murderous glare,” Ye Yun said, eyeing the cratered battlefield.

“Old habits! Beasts only fear those fiercer than them.” She pouted, then sighed. “Didn’t even break a sweat.”

“More training needed,” Ye Yun said, moving forward. “Ancestor of the Sword Path, how close are we?”

“Three trials remain,” the ancestor replied.

Urging the group onward, Ye Yun glanced back. “Mo Wenxian might catch up.”

“Doubt it.” Shui Lingling shrugged. “That lion of his can’t clear paths faster than me.”

Her Stellar Body thrived in battle, contrasting Shui Yingying’s Nine Yin Body suited for Divine Arts. The sisters’ dual cultivation balanced their strengths—Shui Lingling’s raw power and Shui Yingying’s tactical guidance. Without it, her lazy sister might’ve squandered her talents.

As they pressed ahead, Shui Lingling’s excitement lingered. For her, combat wasn’t duty—it was joy.