Wanyue, you have indeed become stronger.

Meng Wanyue wasn't lying. She nodded gently, "Brother Mu is right up there. He's worried about me and afraid I might be in danger."

As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Xiao Ran.

She was trying to determine the location of the pinhole camera on the other woman's body.

Xu Mu and Dai Xingluo were sitting in the back seat of a car.

"Brother, is that woman very strong?"

Dai Xingluo looked out the window, even though she couldn't see Xiao Ran and Meng Wanyue from there.

"She is. Truth be told, at the same level, you and Wanyue would absolutely be no match for her."

Xu Mu observed Xiao Ran's side through his perception.

The plot made it very clear: Xiao Ran possessed extremely high combat skills. When she first met Ye Chen, she had even mentored him.

Meng Wanyue had also received guidance from Xiao Ran in the past.

This was exactly why Xu Mu had always wanted to bring Xiao Ran over to his side.

In terms of combat power, Meng Wanyue was slightly stronger than Dai Xingluo.

After all, she had a background as an assassin and had suffered inhuman torture since childhood. Those without talent simply died.

As for Dai Xingluo, she was also a genius, but her cultivation techniques were more orthodox.

Her only chance of defeating Meng Wanyue was if she went completely berserk.

Acting completely unpredictably might actually throw someone like Meng Wanyue off.

"Then Meng Wanyue shouldn't be a match for her, right?"

Dai Xingluo asked calmly.

"She isn't. Even at the same level, Wanyue wouldn't be a match, let alone the fact that Xiao Ran has just entered the late Supernatural stage."

Xu Mu remembered that during their previous in-depth exchanges, she had still been at the peak of the mid Supernatural stage.

But now, she had broken through to the late Supernatural stage.

"Then how can you feel at ease leaving her alone?"

Dai Xingluo's expression instantly grew tense.

"Usually, you two bicker the moment you meet. I didn't expect you to care about her so much."

Xu Mu suddenly chuckled.

"Who cares about her? It's just that I need a cultivation partner right now, and it would be a shame if she died."

Dai Xingluo put on a proud and aloof expression.

"Don't worry, Wanyue is no weakling. I just want Ye Chen to know he shouldn't entertain any ideas about Meng Wanyue."

Xu Mu crossed his arms and closed his eyes to sense the situation. "I will intervene if necessary."

Suddenly, he opened his eyes again because a familiar presence had appeared within his perception range.

It was Shi Fumeng, whom he had met earlier today. He hadn't expected this woman to follow them here.

Xu Mu hesitated for a moment but decided to ignore her.

At least for now, she definitely wouldn't do anything detrimental to him.

...

"Wanyue, when we first met a few years ago, your eyes were dull, and you always locked yourself in your room."

Xiao Ran tried her best to drop hints to Meng Wanyue. "You really have changed a lot now. I should have realized sooner that you had submitted to Xu Mu."

She had known for a long time that Meng Wanyue was following Xu Mu. Saying it out loud in front of Meng Wanyue today was intentional.

It was to let her prepare herself in advance.

Ye Chen was very clear about Xiao Ran's strength. She absolutely could not show any mercy, or Ye Chen would definitely see through her.

She could only pray now that Meng Wanyue would catch on early and not drag out the fight. As long as she fled toward a crowded area, this crisis would be resolved.

She truly did not want to kill Meng Wanyue.

"Sister Ran, I respect you a lot. Stop following Ye Chen. Come with me and join Brother Mu!"

Meng Wanyue said to Xiao Ran, and she meant every word of it.

"Wanyue, how could you say such a thing? Now, I have no choice but to kill you!"

Xiao Ran took a deep breath and instantly lunged at Meng Wanyue.

Without the slightest hesitation, she thrust the dagger in her hand fiercely toward Meng Wanyue's neck.

Meng Wanyue immediately retreated, drawing a short sword from her body to defend herself.

Screech...

Sparks flew as the dagger scraped against Meng Wanyue's short sword.

Xiao Ran's body was covered in red specks of light that had almost merged into a single sheet, just a hair away from completely fusing together.

Seeing this, green light began to emanate from every pore on Meng Wanyue's body.

Boom!

Both of their Qi erupted simultaneously, clashing against each other and causing the ground beneath their feet to suddenly cave in.

After a few seconds of a stalemate, Xiao Ran's red light overwhelmed the green.

Meng Wanyue's body was abruptly sent flying.

Xiao Ran did not hesitate at all, swiftly pursuing and thrusting toward Meng Wanyue's body.

Swish!

Xiao Ran's blade pierced into Meng Wanyue's stomach, but she felt no resistance, as if she had stabbed into thin air.

Yet this body was not an afterimage, because it lingered without dissipating.

Xu Mu, who was perceiving the fight, nodded to himself. Meng Wanyue was already able to skillfully use this move, Frost in the Cloud Sleeve.

Xiao Ran suddenly spun around.

Clang!

Meng Wanyue's short sword had already reached Xiao Ran's neck, but it was still blocked by Xiao Ran.

"Sister Ran! I'm sorry, but I can't die by your hands!"

With her other hand, Meng Wanyue forcefully threw a phantom sword at Xiao Ran.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran immediately twisted her body, moving to Meng Wanyue's side to dodge the phantom sword.

Boom!

The phantom sword flew toward a distant tree, leaving a bowl-sized hole in its trunk on the spot.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Ye Chen was watching the battle through the tablet in his hands.

Aside from the pinhole camera on Xiao Ran, he had also set up surveillance cameras on the surrounding trees.

His goal was to monitor Xiao Ran's fight the entire time to see if she would show any mercy.

But seeing this, his expression suddenly changed. "What's going on? I remember Meng Wanyue only having mere Astral Qi. When did she enter the Supernatural realm?"

"Not just the Supernatural realm. The technique she used for that clone just now shouldn't be of a low tier,"

said Huang Qu, who was smoking beside him.

"Could it all be because of Xu Mu?"

Ye Chen furrowed his brows.

"If that's really the case, it's actually a good thing."

Huang Qu chuckled from the side.

"What do you mean?"

"It proves that Meng Wanyue didn't join Xu Mu out of genuine loyalty. She only did it because Xu Mu could increase her strength and give her cultivation techniques,"

Huang Qu said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Back on the other side, the battle continued.

Xiao Ran took out a silver glove and put it on her left hand. "Wanyue, you really have grown stronger. In that case, I have no choice but to take this seriously."

Swish!

Xiao Ran lunged at Meng Wanyue again. Just as her figure reached her, she suddenly vanished.

In an instant, she had appeared behind Meng Wanyue.

Meng Wanyue left behind another clone and attacked Xiao Ran from the side.

Clang!

Xiao Ran reacted immediately. Facing Meng Wanyue's short sword, she tightly grabbed the blade with her gloved hand.

"I won't let go!"

The dagger in Xiao Ran's other hand had already reached Meng Wanyue.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

In a split second, Meng Wanyue was stabbed in the front three times, blood drawn out by the retracting dagger.

Meng Wanyue gripped her short sword tightly, but she couldn't pull it out at all. Just as the dagger thrust toward her again, she grabbed Xiao Ran's wrist.

Xiao Ran reacted almost instantaneously, delivering a flying knee strike aimed straight at Meng Wanyue's face.

But just as she leaped up, her expression suddenly changed.

A dark shadow flew out from Meng Wanyue's body, and the black short sword in its hand pierced right through Xiao Ran's waist.

But Xiao Ran did not stop.

With a loud thud, her knee smashed into Meng Wanyue's face, sending her flying backward on the spot.

Xu Mu, whose face had been completely calm just a moment ago, immediately sat up straight.

He pulled a hat and mask out of Meng Wanyue's backpack. "Xingluo, go help her!"