Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Cui Juqing looked at Ning Hua, his sword aura slightly concealed, and his tone was deep and solemn:

"Master Ning, your Zhenwu Dao Sect and my Kunlun Tianjian Sect both uphold the righteous path and have always been on good terms, with a friendship spanning hundreds of years."

"What happened today is a personal feud between my Kunlun Sect. I don't want to fight you and ruin the harmony between our two sects."

Ning Hua, wearing a phoenix-patterned hat, raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? So what do you want?"

Cui Juqing said solemnly, "I will fight you with my sword. I will go all out in this fight, and you don't need to hold back."

"If you cannot defeat me after one sword strike, then from this day forward, Master Ning, you shall no longer concern yourself with the feud between Kunlun Mountain and Fuyu Mountain!"

He paused, then emphasized, "Senior Ning, I hope my words aren't meant to put you in a difficult position?"

Ning Hua paused for a moment, then, thinking of the bond between them as members of the Upper Three Sects, finally nodded gently.

"Alright! You may fight me with one sword. If I cannot defeat you after one sword strike, I will not interfere."

snort!

I refuse to believe it. We're both at the Earthly Immortal Realm, yet I can't defeat you today?

As soon as he finished speaking, on the beach, amidst the Kunlun disciples' ranks, Xiao Lingyun suddenly looked up and shouted to the sky, "Master! Junior Sister Qianxun..."

Cui Juqing lowered his gaze slightly, waved his hand gently at him, and said in a low voice, "Ling Yun, there's no need to say more. I have my reasons."

Xiao Lingyun clenched his fists, but in the end, he lowered his head and remained silent.

Xie Lingyun and Xie Xiaoyi stood side by side, both of them completely focused, quietly watching the confrontation in the sky that would decide the outcome with a single sword strike.

In mid-air, Ning Hua raised her hand and gently patted Rouge Phoenix's head, her tone indifferent:

"Rouge, go to the side first. I'm afraid I might accidentally hurt you during the fight."

With a twist of its neck, the rouge phoenix raised its head and let out a clear cry that reverberated throughout the East Sea, as if it were unwilling to accept defeat.

Ning Hua chuckled lightly, his tone indifferent: "Don't worry, I've lived to this age, I'm not going to lose to a junior."

Only then did the crimson phoenix stop, and then spread its wings and soared into the sky, hovering in the distance to watch over the world.

Cui Juqing made a gesture of invitation and slowly said, "Please enlighten me, Daoist Ning!"

Ning Hua lightly flicked his Taoist robe, and golden Taoist patterns instantly appeared in the air beneath his feet, flowing with golden light and supporting his figure.

She gripped the long sword behind her back with her other hand, the blade pointing diagonally at the ground, its restrained power overwhelming all directions.

"Since I am the senior, I will not take the initiative. You may draw your sword first."

Cui Juqing remained expressionless, only bowing respectfully in a deep voice: "In that case, I must offend you!"

Having said that, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and the aura of a terrestrial immortal erupted from his body!

With a swift slash of his longsword through the air, his blood energy and Kunlun sword intent fused wildly together...

A sword transforms into a snow dragon!

"boom!"

A deafening dragon's roar resounded through the sky!

A sharp sword aura, resembling a snow dragon, swept across the sky, heading straight for Ning Hua!

Wherever the sword energy passed, everything froze. On the surface of the East China Sea, layers of frost condensed on the waves, resembling the Kunlun Snowfield, which was frozen for thousands of miles.

The snow in Kunlun is so beautiful!

Ning Hua remained calm, flicked his wrist, and his longsword danced swiftly in the air as he drew talismans with it!

Golden runes rapidly formed in mid-air, and she softly uttered the incantation: "Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows its power—True Fire Vermilion Bird, manifest!"

The words had barely left his mouth!

Flames soared into the sky, and a giant fiery Vermilion Bird was reborn from the golden light!

Crimson feathers ignite, wings spread wide, burning the sky, a long cry soars into the heavens, and a thunderous collision occurs with the snow dragon opposite!

The dragon roars across the nine heavens, the phoenix sings throughout the four seas!

The snow dragon devours wildly, and the Vermilion Bird burns the heavens!

Crimson flames and snow-white sword energy collided wildly above the East China Sea, creating giant waves hundreds of feet high and tearing the sky apart!

A stark contrast of ice and fire, a fierce wind sweeping across the land, and everyone below was forced to keep their eyes closed by this oppressive force!

One sword!

Only this one sword strike!

When the dragon and the bird collide, the heavens and earth change color!

After a long while, the sword intent in mid-air dissipated, and Cui Juqing's figure swayed slightly, his breath slightly disordered, but he still stood steadily in the void.

Ning Hua's robes trembled slightly, his expression remained calm, clearly indicating that he had not gained an absolute advantage.

Cui Juqing slowly sheathed his sword, looked at Ning Hua, and said calmly, "Daoist Ning, this sword strike... we are evenly matched."

Ning Hua remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly:

"You didn't lose, and I can't beat you either. According to our agreement, I truly have no reason to interfere anymore!"

She looked up at the sky and called out softly.

A flash of light appeared in the distance, and the crimson phoenix swooped down from the sky and landed beside her.

Ning Hua flipped down, stepping onto the phoenix's back and slowly descending towards the sea, stopping in front of Xie Xiaoyi and Xie Lingyun.

She looked at the two of them and said solemnly, "Xiao Xie Mo, Xie Lingyun."

The world has its own rules, and my century-long friendship with Kunlun is a testament to that; a promise is a promise.

"...this is all I can do to protect you."

Xie Lingyun bowed to her and said, "Thank you for your help, Senior Ning, in saving my disciple."

Ning Hua smiled slightly, his words carrying a deeper meaning: "Whether he is a disciple or not, that's another matter."

I already knew his identity. When Tian Sui and I suppressed the Ancestral Dragon True Qi within him, Tian Sui had already guessed it.

So she knew that Xiao Yi was the reincarnation of Xing Yao?

Xie Lingyun's cheeks flushed slightly. He nodded gently in thanks and said no more, turning his gaze back to Cui Juqing, who was still in mid-air.

In mid-air, Cui Juqing looked at Xie Xiaoyi with a cold gaze: "Xie Xiaoyi, there's one more sword."

"The second sword strike just now was taken by Master Ning for you; I consider that a pass. Now, there's one more sword strike left!"

Just as Xie Xiaoyi was about to step forward, Xie Lingyun flicked out a burst of true energy, pinning him firmly to the spot.

He was frozen in place by this surge of inner energy, and in his anxiety, he blurted out, "Auntie!"

But Xie Lingyun seemed not to hear him, snatched his longsword from his hand, and lightly touched the sand with his toes.

His figure gracefully ascended into the air, his feet resting on the vast waves, facing off against Cui Juqing in mid-air.

"I'll take the next strike!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than strange phenomena appeared in the heavens and earth.

The clouds of the nine heavens press down on the sea, and the waters of the four seas meet the sky!

Xie Lingyun stood on the sea, with the power of the entire East China Sea supporting her from behind.

The sky was dark and low, as if you could reach out and touch the clouds.

The sea stands upright—

Countless giant waves rose up like towering walls, reaching high into the air and holding her firmly atop them.

Xie Lingyun stood on the crest of the wave, face to face with Cui Juqing, their auras evenly matched.

The Kunlun disciples were all stunned, and whispers among themselves began to murmur amongst themselves.

"How did Xie Lingyun's aura suddenly become so strong? He can actually hold his own against Master!"

"Yes! He was injured before, yet he can still unleash such terrifying pressure?"

Ning Hua stared at the astonishing phenomenon in mid-air, his expression changing slightly, and he thought to himself, "This is bad!"

Xie Lingyun was already injured, yet she forcibly used the power of heaven and earth to step into the Earth Immortal Dao Inquiry Realm. Was she... trying to perish together with Cui Juqing?

Cui Juqing was also startled. Upon seeing this imposing aura, his expression immediately turned serious.

"Xie Lingyun, you're severely injured, yet you still try to forcefully raise your cultivation level. Don't you value your life?"

The sword flashed coldly, and Xie Lingyun simply uttered, "What I want has never been my own life!"