Xuanjian: I am the tenth son of Zhenchi, and I plot to seize the throne from Zhenlong.

He casually deflected an incoming sword aura, then carefully examined the man holding a crimson longsword not far away, a sudden glint of appetite flashing in his eyes.

Su Ming's expression was somewhat solemn. He simply faced the woman in silence. The woman opposite him was wearing a feathered robe that shone with a dazzling light. The sword she held had already reached the level of the Green Transformation Realm, and it was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item. Su Ming felt that this person was most likely a direct descendant of Qingchi.

A bluish-gray water dragon swept around him in mid-air, and Li Yuanjiao had already used the River-Crossing Turbulent Step to crash into the crowd, the bluish-white sword light dancing on the Green Ruler Sword.

A group of rogue cultivators were busy escaping for their lives, never expecting that there were two Foundation Establishment cultivators squatting there. Caught off guard, several of them were knocked down on the spot.

The woman wasn't angry that her advances had been intercepted. She waited until Li Yuanjiao had knocked down and suppressed most of the figures before she slowly spoke, her eyes fixed intently on Su Ming.

"Azure Fragrance Mountain Gate, Vast Splendor."

Su Ming was still wondering which sect this was when the water dragon on Li Yuanjiao's robe below leaped up and fiercely pounced on the woman above, but she dodged it with a swift movement.

"Senior Su, Bifu Mountain is in the Southern Frontier, and she is a demon."

Li Yuanjiao soared into the air, his green ruler whimpering incessantly. Su Ming stopped him from stepping forward to probe, and whispered, "Go after those few rogue cultivators who haven't gone far yet. Once we've got them, we'll leave immediately."

"This..." Li Yuanjiao hesitated for only a moment, then nodded and rode away. He still had some immortal treasures on him, so it was not the time to insist on proving himself to someone.

"Clang~"

Before Su Ming could stall for time with words, Ming Hua, who was not far away, had already drawn her sword and slashed. Her sword energy was gentle and soft, and after leaving the sword, it instantly turned into clear water droplets and fell.

Su Ming did not go to take it, but instead made a hand seal to summon a fiery rain. With the help of his escape technique, he rushed forward. He did not know many spells, and most of his skills were in fire manipulation and swordsmanship. He had to get close to have a chance of winning.

With her dress fluttering, Minghua's figure rippled in an instant, lightly dodging the sword. The emerald green [Turbid Rain] in her hand shimmered with water, and with her wave, it transformed into a ribbon that covered Su Ming.

A burst of fire suddenly appeared on Su Ming's body, and raindrops fell. He caught the cold light hidden in the emerald green silk, but the raindrops scorched his skin and left some holes.

Strands of blood gushed out, instantly turning into gray-red flames that rolled down his body. Su Ming didn't care at all; instead, he controlled the gray-red flames to leap up from his body.

Then it deliberately collided with the emerald rain falling from the sword, or merged with his [Ye Zhu], igniting a raging fire, causing the silk to shrink and white mist to rise.

The fire was intense, and the watery light on Minghua's longsword was quickly burned away. She was even caught off guard and the flames covered her body. However, with the [Fountain of Rebirth] on her, the flames and burns were eliminated in an instant.

For a moment, Su Ming was able to suppress Ming Hua with swordsmanship alone, but he did not show any joy on his face. [Bing Huo] is not known for its heavy true essence. He used magic, but his opponent only relied on swordsmanship and movement to deal with it.

The situation seemed perilous, yet he never actually managed to break through the thin veil between them with his sword, while the woman's face showed a certain interest and anticipation.

The two exchanged swords for quite some time. Su Ming seized an opportunity to strike again, but suddenly caught a glimpse of a cunning glint in the woman's eyes. She narrowly dodged his sword and then casually tossed a handful of gray sand at him.

Just as doubt arose in Su Ming's eyes, a sudden chill ran through him. Even faster than the sand and soil, a cold light pierced through the white mist between them, instantly striking Su Ming's shoulder.

"Throwing knife? Or magic?"

Ignoring the growing stinging pain in his shoulder, Su Ming retreated rapidly, avoiding the sand that could block spiritual senses. After unleashing two sword energies, a firebird leaped up from the tip of the sword.

Minghua slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. This was the move she had been waiting for. She glanced at the white mist around her, but instead of dodging or avoiding it, she let the firebird peck into her body.

"Bang!"

A brilliant burst of light erupted, and a large cloud of water vapor exploded and evaporated. Su Ming pressed his bleeding shoulder and pulled out a crimson steel needle.

He frowned, gazing at the dark clouds in the sky, and then the rain began to fall.

"Dead?"

Su Ming's unease reached its peak. There was no way that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could die so easily from a single sword strike.

His spiritual sense kept scanning his surroundings. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly froze. A jade-green longsword pierced through his chest, and blood dripped from the tip of the sword.

A shimmering, watery hand had already covered his neck, and a woman's slightly pleased voice rang in his ear: "This sword is not bad."

Without a moment's hesitation, Su Ming, having regained his sense of the woman's presence, stirred the faint flame. A muffled groan came from behind him, and the longsword in his chest instantly receded. He coughed up two mouthfuls of blood and fell to the ground.

After taking a healing pill, the woman didn't use any miraculous methods. Her injuries were less severe than Su Ming had imagined. The bloody wound on her chest was washed away by the rolling flames, leaving only a gradually fading scar.

As Minghua casually summoned water to wash away the scorching flames on his body, the burn marks disappeared in an instant. With a smile on his face, he sheathed his longsword and gave a casual bow: "May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"

"A rogue cultivator, Su Ming," he scrutinized the woman for a long time, his expression gradually becoming serious, before asking in confusion, "How did you do that?"

"[Green Water], the transformation of water, has the effect of escape. All my skills are based on this. The master also explained several Green Water supernatural powers to me. My foundation is the [Spring of Rebirth], which is [Female Water], located in [Growth], and is most good at healing."

"My fellow Daoist used [fire] to scorch me, and thus I underwent a transformation of vaporization, a process of yin and yang, purity and turbidity, concealment and storage, naturally hiding my breath as [concealment]."

"You struck me with your sword, so I will return the favor." Minghua coughed up two mouthfuls of blood with sparks, and two bloody streaks appeared on his face, which disappeared in an instant.

She smiled and said, "However, there were many differences. The falling evening rain almost killed me, or perhaps it was the [Manor Water] that saved me. I only dared to do this after taking the pill..."

Seeing Su Ming's stunned expression, Ming Hua pursed her lips, losing interest in continuing the conversation.

She waved her hand: "I'll give you that steel needle. Thank you for the sword strike, fellow Daoist. I'll come back to fight you again once I've mastered sword essence."

As they were talking, Li Yuanjiao also rushed over. He stood next to Su Ming, watching the woman warily, with a look of joy on his face, indicating that he had gained a lot.

"Senior, did you win?" Li Yuanjiao saw that Su Ming's aura did not seem to be injured, and his face showed a hint of eagerness. Perhaps they could capture this monster today.

However, Su Ming's next words shattered his illusions.

"I almost died, let her go."