Perhaps because a battle was imminent and loose hair would be inconvenient, or maybe because Ye Chen was staring too intently at her ears, An Miaoli retrieved a jade hairpin from her storage ring. With graceful movements, she pinned her long hair up high, revealing the soft curve of her jawline and her luminous, jade-like complexion.

Her expression calm, An Miaoli pointed to three Netherwater Pools. "These three pools are each a kilometer apart, connected beneath the surface. Of course, there are likely more exits than these three. But if you use the array discs I gave you to seal these openings the moment the Wind-Thunder Jiao emerges, I'm confident I can slay it before it escapes to a farther exit."

Ye Chen nodded, pulling out the three array discs An Miaoli had given him earlier, signaling he understood.

"Then conceal your aura and approach stealthily," she instructed. "Be careful. If you're spotted early, retreat immediately."

An Miaoli's tone was serious. The Wind-Thunder Jiao, with its trace of dragon blood, was exceptionally formidable, far beyond the average cultivator of its realm. Though Ye Chen was a genius, he was only in the early Golden Core stage.

Ye Chen nodded again. In the next moment, he activated a top-tier aura-concealing technique he'd obtained from the system, erasing all traces of his presence.

An Miaoli said no more. Her slender, graceful figure, draped in a white spirit robe, floated toward the Netherwater Pools. Positioning herself at the center of the three pools, she gently raised her hand.

With that simple gesture, all three pool entrances erupted, sending hundreds of meters of water shooting upward like volcanic geysers. A deafening roar echoed as the ground itself seemed to tremble.

Ye Chen's eyebrows shot up. An Miaoli's strength was impressive, worthy of the Divine Will Sect's grand elder. But with her this powerful, his daydream of playing the hero, turning the tide, and presenting her with a grand gift was clearly out of the question.

As An Miaoli made her move, Ye Chen didn't dawdle. Concealing his presence, he silently glided toward the pool entrances.

…

Meanwhile, a thunderous roar echoed, shaking the earth.

The waters of one Netherwater Pool, just settled from its earlier eruption, exploded again. A massive black creature surged from the depths.

It was an enormous beast, at least a hundred meters long, its serpentine body five meters thick. Though snake-like, it bore sharp claws and a pair of massive wings. Covered in black scales and radiating a ferocious aura, its presence was overwhelming.

This was unmistakably the Wind-Thunder Jiao. Its speed was staggering. With a single flap of its wings, a gale roared to life. In an instant, it lunged at An Miaoli, jaws snapping.

An Miaoli remained composed, gracefully retreating to dodge the attack. She struck out with a palm, and a giant hand of spiritual energy materialized, hurtling toward the beast's massive head.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao's eyes glinted as it spat a bolt of black divine lightning, shattering the spiritual hand. Its enormous tail, unnoticed until now, whipped silently toward An Miaoli's head from above.

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But An Miaoli sensed it, her expression unchanging. She darted back a hundred meters, evading the terrifying strike.

Fueled by bloodlust, the Wind-Thunder Jiao flapped its wings and charged at her again.

As the battle drew them farther away, Ye Chen realized An Miaoli was creating an opportunity for him. She wouldn't unleash her full strength until he sealed the three pool entrances with the array discs.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen glided to the first pool, activated an array disc, and tossed it down. Instantly, a golden barrier enveloped the entrance, covering the pool and a hundred meters of surrounding land. Even a late Golden Core cultivator would struggle to break it quickly.

Satisfied, Ye Chen moved to the next pool.

The disturbance from the array caught Wind-Thunder Jiao's attention. Sensing Ye Chen's intent, its massive eyes flashed with cold malice, and it turned to charge at him.

But An Miaoli sprang into action. With a wave of her hand, countless spiritual hands materialized around the beast, slamming down from all directions.

Scales shattered and scattered. The Wind-Thunder Jiao roared, its tail sweeping to crush a swath of spiritual hands, still intent on reaching Ye Chen.

Yet, invisible chains emerged from the void, coiling around the beast's tail. The Wind-Thunder Jiao thrashed violently, the taut chains on the verge of snapping. They wouldn't hold it for long.

But that brief moment was enough. Ye Chen calmly activated and deployed the remaining two array discs, sealing the other pool entrances before drifting away.

Seeing Ye Chen retreat, An Miaoli nodded, her expression serene. She finally unleashed her full power. Her hands, clad in white silk gloves, danced gracefully, weaving a torrent of majestic spells that flowed effortlessly.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao, realizing escape was no longer an option, fought back with murderous intent. A demon beast's body was several times stronger than a human cultivator's. Most spells it simply ignored, smashing them with a flick of its tail. Dark clouds gathered unnoticed in the sky, locking onto An Miaoli. Black divine lightning, like chains, shot toward her, while countless wind blades and tornadoes formed around her, sealing off any escape.

Yet An Miaoli remained unflustered. Every movement seemed to sway the heavens themselves. With unhurried precision, she unleashed spell after spell, calmly countering every attack.

…

From dozens of miles away, Ye Chen watched the battle unfold.

Soon, he pursed his lips. Compared to An Miaoli's calm and effortless grace, the Wind-Thunder Jiao was clearly struggling. It was repeatedly struck by terrifying spells, its scales shattering and scattering. Blood sprayed like a fountain, splattering the ground below.

Ye Chen could tell that while the Wind-Thunder Jiao wasn't gravely injured yet, it wouldn't last much longer under this onslaught. At this rate, it would be done for in half an hour. It seemed his role in this trip was indeed just to play support.

…

The Wind-Thunder Jiao evidently sensed something was wrong. It fought with desperate ferocity, the sky rumbling with the clash of spells and surging energy.

In a frenzied bid, it unleashed dozens of divine lightning bolts, each as thick as a barrel, their energy raging downward. Even An Miaoli, unwilling to take such an attack head-on, cast several spells and gracefully retreated to avoid the barrage.

But as the lightning descended, it suddenly veered sharply midair.

An Miaoli realized something was amiss and swiftly summoned several giant spiritual hands to block the lightning. It was too late. The dozens of bolts slammed into one of the Netherwater Pool entrances. The golden seal flared brightly, resisting the onslaught, but under the relentless barrage, the light dimmed and the array shattered with a deafening explosion.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao flapped its wings, its massive body transforming into a black blur. Moving with blinding speed, like a bolt of lightning, it half-submerged into the Netherwater Pool in an instant.

An Miaoli's eyes narrowed. A golden hand, as large as a small mountain, materialized and seized the beast's tail, attempting to drag it back out.

But the Wind-Thunder Jiao thrashed wildly, heedless of the damage. Its tail exploded with blood and scales, exposing bone. The giant hand wavered, and the beast fully vanished into the pool.

The dark waters, now tinged with blood, fell silent.

An Miaoli gazed at the deep pool and sighed. This attempt had failed. Using the same strategy again would be far more difficult. It seemed the opportunity was lost…

…

From afar, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. He surged toward the Netherwater Pool. The opportunity—hadn't it just arrived?

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