Petals Fill the Sky

The situation had now drastically changed.

The two Tianyan Sect disciples smoothly turned back around, gripping their swords as they faced the woman.

One of them sent a voice transmission to Wang Lin, briefly reporting what had just happened:

"Captain, after that Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivator hurled a purple orb artifact at us, we were instantly trapped in an illusion. It was seamless—if not for the hidden Dao rhythm signal you just sent, we would’ve been completely blindsided."

Wang Lin remained calm, sword in hand, and replied via voice transmission:

"Mission parameters have changed. Reinforcements have already been notified by the Tianyan Sect. For now, engage and delay. If things turn south, retreat immediately. Keep your teleportation talismans ready."

The two Tianyan Sect disciples nodded in acknowledgment.

Li Xingtian was also looped into the voice transmission channel.

Admittedly, from what Li Xingtian had witnessed, the Tianyan Sect disciples operated with impeccable precision.

It really drove home the difference between a disciplined force and a band of outlaws.

Not that he expected his own senior sister to command the battlefield as smoothly as Wang Lin.

But judging by Zhang Miaoyu’s expression, one might think their senior sister was doing an outstanding job.

It was baffling, especially after Li Xingtian had read through Cui Hao’s hundred-thousand-word mission debrief.

A hundred thousand words dedicated solely to nitpicking mistakes—it was hard not to cringe at his senior sister’s leadership.

Li Xingtian didn’t dwell on it further, instead extending his blood qi to probe the surroundings.

If the reports were accurate, that Nascent Soul demonic cultivator—Meng Jun—might still be alive. Sometimes, the real threat was the rat lurking in the shadows.

Still, the tide had finally turned in their favor.

"Got any more tricks up your sleeve?" Wang Lin asked, his tone dripping with disdain despite his inner vigilance. "If not, you might as well start drafting your last words—not that I’ll bother remembering them."

The woman burst into laughter—pleasant to the ears, if nothing else.

Her voice carried a mocking lilt:

"Oh, I was just playing with you, and here you are, getting all worked up."

The moment the words left her lips, Wang Lin’s expression sharpened, his gaze locking onto her.

The woman hovered mid-air, her eyes equally fixed on Wang Lin and his group.

Wang Lin sneered. "Worked up or not, I do know you won’t be laughing for much longer."

The woman narrowed her eyes and hissed:

"Tch… Let’s see if that mouth of yours begs for mercy later."

Li Xingtian summoned his spiritual treasure, but after a long pause, neither side made a move. They just stood there, glaring at each other, trading barbs like it was a contest.

With their cultivation levels, blinking was optional.

Li Xingtian finally understood—Wang Lin and this woman were, in his master’s words, "pure talkers."

After all, trash talk was free. Why not indulge?

Wang Lin was stalling because Tianyan Sect reinforcements were on the way.

But what about the woman?

Was she just buying time to catch her breath before death?

Li Xingtian’s expression darkened as he sent a voice transmission to Wang Lin:

"She’s probably charging up a big move. Even if we’re stalling, we shouldn’t just stand here and let her prepare."

"Big move"?

The term was novel, but Wang Lin grasped the meaning immediately. Li Xingtian had a point.

After a brief consideration, Wang Lin replied:

"Stay sharp. I’ll test her limits."

With that, he repositioned himself and raised a hand. A massive earthen dragon erupted from the ground, hurtling toward the woman.

A second and third followed in quick succession under Wang Lin’s control.

The Tianyan Sect was renowned for its mastery of the five elements and other arcane arts, ranking among the elite forces of the Central Continent.

Such techniques were standard for cultivators, though they were typically reserved for crowd control or weaker foes.

After all, no matter how flashy the spells, they couldn’t match the raw power of divine abilities.

In a fight, a cultivator’s priority was always the most devastating attack.

Holding back in battle was like walking on your hands—either your feet were useless, or your brain was.

Still, long-range harassment wasn’t a bad tactic.

The earthen dragons were shattered mid-flight by whipping floral branches, failing to even graze the woman’s robes.

Wang Lin flicked his wrist, sending fiery dragons roaring forward—only to meet the same fate.

The woman covered her mouth in amusement before clapping mockingly:

"What a lovely performance! Do a few more tricks, and I might let you live a little longer."

Wang Lin ignored the taunt, his sword flashing coldly as he unleashed another strike—

The Divine Profound Clear Sword Art.

The woman’s demeanor shifted to seriousness. She raised a hand, and the flowering tree trembled, its branches weaving into layered shields.

The sword slash cleaved through barrier after barrier, ultimately slamming into the woman behind them.

Under Wang Lin’s watchful gaze—

There was no surprise. The woman was sent flying once more, crashing into the ground with enough force to scatter petals and carve a crater.

She slowly rose from the wreckage:

"Enough with the theatrics. Time to hear you beg. I haven’t eaten in so long, my digestion’s gotten sluggish."

She stretched a hand toward the flowering tree.

In an instant, the massive tree shuddered, condensing at blinding speed before streaking toward her.

A mere heartbeat later—

She gripped a wooden sword, its surface intricately carved with blossoms, forged from the towering tree.

With a casual swing, she sent a slash toward Wang Lin.

Countless petals materialized mid-air, each gleaming with lethal sharpness as they surged toward him.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Lin was engulfed in a swirling storm of flowers.

From within, the sounds of his frantic counterattacks echoed, but breaking free seemed impossible.

The woman chuckled softly before turning her languid gaze to Li Xingtian and the others:

"I’ve always hated being woken up—especially from a pleasant dream."

Li Xingtian frowned. That statement… was deliberately suggestive. Was she implying she was the Dream Immortal?

But he remained skeptical.

If the Dream Immortal could resurrect so easily, there would’ve been far more than just whispers about her back then.

One of the Tianyan Sect disciples, sensing the danger, turned to the other:

"You stay and guard him. I’ll assist the captain."

"Don’t." Li Xingtian blocked his path, voice firm. "It’s a trap."

The disciple shot him a dismissive glance and moved to charge toward Wang Lin.

Li Xingtian sighed but had no authority to stop him.

The woman’s eyes lit up at the opening. For the first time, she lunged forward—

Her wooden sword arced toward the rushing disciple.

The disciple twisted mid-step, retaliating with a slash of his own.

Blades clashed.

Petals exploded into the air, dancing like a storm.