However, growing at high speed in battle comes with a price.
Yang Liuqing’s physical stamina and mental energy were being drained at an alarming rate.
‘Why do I have to suffer like this?’
Her mind wasn’t focused on how to take down the enemy.
The last sliver of leeway, or perhaps that gap, was being flooded with long-suppressed Negative Energy.
Yeah, why?
Not long ago, Yang Liuqing would have found a way to divert her attention to steady herself.
That was what she had always done, ever since she was little.
Otherwise, she would have completely fallen apart.
Was that what they called being strong?
Maybe.
The only thing she knew was that cracks were forming in that Mental Shell.
The war machine couldn’t perceive her inner turmoil.
It had its hands full just dealing with the Thunder Light Sword.
The Exoskeleton Equipment on its body was taking more and more damage, and the Fist Gauntlets were covered in scars.
No telling how much longer they could hold out.
Yet the hunger in his eyes only burned brighter.
This Magic Potion was far more formidable than he had imagined.
If it could transform an ordinary person so thoroughly, wouldn’t it make him even more monstrous if he got his hands on it?
The Tixianren crossed both hands and pulled, and a net woven from Mind Threads swept down toward Yang Liuqing.
A swing of the Crimson Flame Sword tore the Mind Thread Net apart, but the remaining threads were still closing in.
Seeing this, Yang Liuqing, who was in Autopilot State, narrowed her eyes and activated Hound Body Movement to dodge.
The war machine’s pressure suddenly dropped.
With one click, it released the Exoskeleton Equipment from its body, letting the pieces clatter to the ground.
These damaged encumbrances would only hinder its performance later.
The Tixianren let out a soft breath, her hands trembling almost imperceptibly.
She had thought that with the two of them attacking relentlessly, their opponent would crumble quickly.
As it turned out, the one in trouble might be them.
Manipulating Mind Threads in combat took a heavy toll on one’s mental energy.
The longer this battle dragged on, the more dangerous it became.
Calculating the time, those Hunters would be arriving soon.
“Zuozhi, stop holding back. End this quickly!”
She had finally cornered Yang Liuqing.
She couldn’t let anyone else snatch away this delicious fruit of victory.
The Tixianren decided to pull out her ultimate trump card.
One Mind Thread after another wrapped rapidly around her body, encasing her completely.
On the surface, it looked like nothing had changed.
But Yang Liuqing sensed a terrifying sharpness emanating from her.
This little thing had turned herself into a deadly weapon.
Those Mind Threads were never meant for defense.
“Understood.”
The war machine clenched both fists.
A massive amount of Yellow Substance surged from its body.
The substance covered its entire form and rapidly hardened, turning it into a humanoid rock.
It looked far tougher than the earlier Exoskeleton Equipment.
“Big Sister, should we help Xiao Qingqing?”
Ke Li sensed something was wrong and wanted to jump in.
Ke Ling pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
“Master is in a critical phase. If we intervene, it might ruin everything she’s working toward.”
“Fine.”
Ke Li figured her sister was right.
Interfering now would interrupt Yang Liuqing’s growth.
But at this rate, was this really okay?
Her little head vaguely felt that something was off.
Yet she couldn’t find any clues to point to it.
“Ha… ha… ha…”
Yang Liuqing stared intently at the war machine and the Tixianren, breathing in short, shallow gasps.
The hands gripping the Twin Swords were trembling.
Her gaze was no longer as sharp as before.
A trace of dazed confusion had crept in.
The cracks on the shell had grown a little more.
Thump, thump.
Her heart was beating fast.
A faint sensation of being flushed through washed over every limb and bone.
Her stamina was recovering, at a steady but not fast pace.
Her mental exhaustion was deepening.
‘Why?’
At this moment, she couldn’t even tell what she was thinking.
Her mind had turned into a bucket of paste.
“She got stronger again?”
The Tixianren’s pupils shrank, her heart pounding violently.
In her eyes, Yang Liuqing was shrouded in a Faint Purple Aura.
The Twin Swords radiated even greater power.
Lightning burst, cracking the air around them with explosive snaps.
Crimson flames surged, as if burning through the very space itself.
“We’re going in!”
The war machine was getting impatient.
If this kept up, they would very likely lose.
And then, forget getting the Magic Potion, they’d be lucky to keep their lives.
The Tixianren said nothing, darting out at high speed.
She was now in Self-Manipulation Mode, controlling herself with Mind Threads.
Both her strength and speed had been greatly enhanced.
The war machine took heavy strides, far more sluggish than in its Exoskeleton state.
But its defense had doubled outright.
Without breaking through that layer of rock, it would be very hard to deal it any real damage.
“Looking to die.”
Facing the two who had revealed their trump cards, Yang Liuqing gripped the Twin Swords even tighter.
Negative Emotions surged violently.
Killing Intent was on full display.
The Tixianren keenly sensed her change and struck even faster.
A flick of her hand, and Thread Bullets shot out.
This time, far more than ten.
At a rough glance, at least thirty.
In Self-Manipulation Mode, she really had improved significantly.
Watching the Mind Threads growing dense in her vision, Yang Liuqing showed no fear and made no move to dodge.
Instead, she charged forward, swinging her Twin Swords.
Lightning crackled, flames erupted.
The Tixianren’s Mind Threads came at her like cutting blades from every direction, at tricky angles, with ferocious precision.
Even so, Yang Liuqing managed to hold her ground and gradually find her own rhythm.
The Tixianren couldn’t help but think:
This one absolutely cannot be spared.
The war machine arrived a beat later.
Amid the seemingly chaotic storm of Mind Threads, it barged in and drove a fist toward Yang Liuqing.
Its target was crystal clear, straight for her head.
If that Rock Heavy Fist connected, her head would be smashed to pulp like a watermelon dropped from a great height.
Yang Liuqing didn’t care about any of that.
She swung the Thunder Light Sword straight across.
The Rock Heavy Fist clashed head-on with it, and lightning exploded violently.
She had expected the war machine to take heavy damage, but nothing happened at all.
Instead, Yang Liuqing was sent flying by the sheer force.
“That thing is channeling the lightning into the ground.”
Ke Ling saw through the trick at a glance.
“Could it really be a Stone Man?”
Ke Li looked over at Yang Liuqing.
“Xiao Qingqing was careless.”
The Tixianren wasn’t about to let such a perfect opportunity slip by.
Dozens of Mind Threads changed trajectory mid-air and pierced toward Yang Liuqing, intent on skewering her entire body.
The latter steadied herself immediately.
Her left hand fed a massive surge of energy into the Crimson Flame Sword, and with a roar, it erupted into a High-Temperature Fire Wall.
The Mind Threads that shot into it were incinerated on contact.
“Tch!”
The Tixianren felt a pang of regret.
The war machine charged in right behind, throwing consecutive Rock Heavy Fists.
The terrifying shockwave dispersed the flames and drove straight to the heart of the matter.
Yang Liuqing frowned slightly, growing annoyed with this big brute.
Its defense, boosted by the Rockification Ability, was so high it was nearly impossible to break through.
This was a true war machine in every sense!
Fighting it head-on would only put her at a disadvantage.
With a shift of thought, Yang Liuqing chose to weave and dodge instead.
But no sooner had she evaded the war machine’s barrage of Rock Heavy Fists than the Tixianren’s Mind Threads came at her again.
Annoying.
More than just annoying.
Her taut nerves felt like they were about to snap.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Her Magic Heart was beating in a steady rhythm.
Even as it supplied the energy she needed, it was also shaking the shell that guarded her heart, cracking it open like a spreading spiderweb.