“Elder Sister Huan! What are you doing here?” Nangong Qian’er spotted Nangong Huan and waved with a smile.

“Hmph, you’re not following us, are you? Nangong Huan, I told you to stop bothering me!” Wei Yuguang scoffed, genuinely believing that Nangong Huan had come to chase after him.

Ye Wanjun couldn’t hold back any longer. Frowning, he pointed at the two and unleashed a tirade: “What does it matter to you where we go at Daling Lake? We’re not here to watch you two flirt! What kind of confidence do you have? You should take a good look in the mirror! Just standing there is enough to pollute my eyes; it would take eight hundred years to wash it clean!”

As he spoke, he rubbed his eyes with a look of disgust, as if something dirty had gotten in.

“Tch, you’re just jealous that we got the flags first!” Wei Yuguang’s face darkened. Unable to argue against Ye Wanjun, he resorted to boasting about their flag count. “We just swept this area and collected over twenty yellow flags! There are no flags left here; you’re too late!”

“Elder Sister Huan, you should change locations. This place really has no flags left,” Nangong Qian’er said proudly, relishing her moment of victory over the "ugly girl."

“Is that so?” Nangong Huan’s signature cruel smile reappeared. “The rules didn’t say we couldn’t steal, did they? Qian’er, you better keep a tight grip on your red ring.”

Upon hearing the word "steal," the smiles vanished from both Nangong Qian’er and Wei Yuguang’s faces.

Technically, they could indeed steal.

“I’m coming now~” Nangong Huan’s voice floated lightly, and she kindly reminded the two.

With a wave of her hand, the lake’s waters surged, and water balls began to rise, crashing down toward the two!

The ground shook as roots quickly climbed up, wrapping around their bodies.

Wei Yuguang and Nangong Qian’er quickly dodged, using their swords to slash at the encroaching roots.

“Summon, Little Fire!” Nangong Qian’er called out, and a summoning array lit up beside her, from which a fire dragon emerged!

The dragon, resembling a large bird, had a fiery red body covered in tough scales, its two front limbs stretched into wings, spanning a full ten zhang!

While it wasn’t a divine beast, its rarity was still considerable!

“Roar—” The fire dragon let out a mighty roar, and with a flick of its tail, the flames it released incinerated the incoming water balls into vapor.

As it breathed fire, the roots on the ground were instantly reduced to ashes.

“Elder Sister Huan, this time I won’t lose to you!” Nangong Qian’er stroked the fire dragon’s scales, a determined smile on her face.

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“I like your unruly nature,” Nangong Huan replied with a smile, relishing the fight.

Nangong Huan swung her shining golden blade, charging toward Nangong Qian’er with fierce momentum!

Wei Yuguang attempted to intervene, but Ye Wanjun had already engaged him, and the two clashed, their swords flashing as energy blades scattered.

Nangong Qian’er, lacking strong swordsmanship, could only ride on the fire dragon, soaring into the sky.

“You can’t fly up here! Come up if you dare!” Nangong Qian’er laughed triumphantly. “Little Fire, fireball technique!”

Numerous small fireballs coalesced around the fire dragon, hurling down toward Nangong Huan!

Nangong Huan looked up, unhurried, and raised her hand to draw up the lake water, forming a thin water barrier in front of her.

Puff puff—

The fireballs struck the water barrier, creating a thick cloud of white smoke.

Nangong Qian’er frowned, unable to see through the billowing smoke to pinpoint Nangong Huan’s exact location.

At that moment, a glint of cold light flashed, and the shining golden blade was hurled through the air. Nangong Huan followed closely, leaping up just as her speed began to wane. She stepped on the hilt of the golden blade, using it to propel herself higher, landing right in front of Nangong Qian’er.

Shock and fear flickered in Nangong Qian’er’s eyes as she realized Nangong Huan had truly made it up!

Just as she tried to command the fire dragon to retreat, Nangong Huan had already leapt onto its head!

With a swift motion, Nangong Huan extended her arm, channeling her spiritual energy to summon a gust of wind that blew the golden blade back into her grasp. In front of Nangong Qian’er, she plunged it into the fire dragon’s neck!

“No!” Nangong Qian’er screamed, swinging her sword toward Nangong Huan!

But with a deft spin, Nangong Huan easily severed the fire dragon’s head with the sharp golden blade!

Blood gushed forth, and the lifeless body of the fire dragon began to plummet. Nangong Qian’er was caught in the backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood!

“Puh—” Nangong Qian’er clutched her chest, falling into Daling Lake alongside the fire dragon, sending waves soaring ten zhang high.

Nangong Huan also fell into the water, but with her spiritual energy under control, a wave formed beneath her, lifting her up and sending her to the shore.

“Qian’er!” Wei Yuguang shouted, slicing through Ye Wanjun’s defense with his sword and diving into the lake to pull Nangong Qian’er up.

Blood spread across the lake’s surface, gradually transforming it into a sea of red.

Choking on water and blood, Nangong Qian’er coughed violently, spitting out more blood. She quickly wiped her mouth and took out a vial of potion to drink.

“Brother Yuguang, Elder Sister Huan killed my spirit beast!” Nangong Qian’er collapsed into Wei Yuguang’s arms, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful.

The backlash from the summoning was unbearable; if she didn’t recover properly, she wouldn’t be able to contract another spirit beast anytime soon.

“Nangong Huan, you’re truly vicious!” Wei Yuguang immediately condemned her, his tone harsh. “Qian’er has never blamed you for anything; why do you have to force her? Are you happy now that Qian’er’s summoned beast is dead in your hands?”

“Really annoying! Little Ye, can’t you handle him? You let him get away with this!” Nangong Huan said, digging in her ears and rolling her eyes.

Of course, she meant no blame; Wei Yuguang was level nine, and naturally stronger, so it was already impressive that Ye Wanjun could withstand his attacks without getting hurt.

“I... he... fine, it’s my fault. I’ll practice my swordsmanship diligently from now on,” Ye Wanjun said with a sheepish smile, scratching his head awkwardly.

Nangong Huan turned her gaze to Wei Yuguang, tilting her head with a mischievous smile.

Wei Yuguang’s heart tightened, a bad premonition washing over him. But before he could react, the ground cracked open again, and dense, massive roots shot up, tightly wrapping around the two!

A stone kicked up from beside Nangong Huan hit Wei Yuguang’s hand, causing him to drop his sword in pain.

Both were bound tightly, unable to move.

“Nangong Huan, what do you want to do? I warn you not to do anything reckless!” Wei Yuguang shouted, watching as Nangong Huan stepped closer, his expression filled with disgust. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was planning to take advantage of him!