The moment the words left her mouth, Ning Xiu struck without hesitation!
Regardless of how he had learned her identity, she could not afford to be exposed!
*Boom!!!*
In an instant, a terrifying power of flames swept across heaven and earth!
A dragon of fire erupted, soaring straight into the clouds!
Beneath that towering pressure, Ning Xiu gripped her sword with both hands. Her figure blurred and flickered as she lunged violently at Li Guanqi!
*Rumble!!*
Her extreme speed caused the surrounding void to warp faintly, and the earth behind her shattered in an instant!
As the surging sea of flames rolled toward him, Li Guanqi looked completely calm. The ordinary longsword in his hand suddenly gave a resounding, clear hum!
*Clang!!!*
The sword left its sheath, and a flash of lightning sword radiance flared across the sky before vanishing just as quickly!
In that single breath, the torrential flames were snuffed out by the thunderous flash. More than that, the sheer destructive might of the lightning had forcibly crushed the fire out of existence.
*Sssst!!*
A streak of bright crimson suddenly broke out across Ning Xiu's fair face.
Blood trickled slowly down her cheek. Her eyes trembled, filled with sheer disbelief.
She could not believe the terrifying aura he had displayed in that split second.
He clearly possessed only the aura of middle Nascent Soul, yet he had made her feel as though her life and death were entirely within his grasp.
In the very next breath, however, Li Guanqi's figure burst straight through the dying flames and materialized right before her.
That extraordinarily handsome face was barely a finger's width from hers. Ning Xiu could even feel the youth's hot breath against her skin.
*Bang!!!*
Just as she moved to raise her hand and strike with her sword, two large hands locked onto her slender wrists like iron pincers.
An irresistible surge of immense force bore down on her. Li Guanqi slammed Ning Xiu against the neighboring rock wall.
Sweeping his hands upward, he pinned both of her wrists against the stone cliff with a single hand.
The intimate posture flushed Ning Xiu's cheeks crimson, and a surge of furious shame welled up inside her.
"What are you doing! Let me go!"
Before her voice had faded, she drove her right knee violently toward Li Guanqi's groin.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi raised his left leg in a flash to block the knee strike, then pressed down hard against her!
Now Ning Xiu burned with even greater shame and anger. Her right leg was pinned high in the air by Li Guanqi, and both of her hands were restrained.
With cheeks ablaze, Ning Xiu knew she lacked the power to resist right now. She could only turn her head aside, refusing to look at the youth before her.
Li Guanqi curled his lip. The woman before him truly was exceptionally beautiful, with eyes like shimmering spring water, a straight, noble nose, crimson lips, and pearly white teeth.
This posture was indeed somewhat compromising, but he certainly dared not let go of her right now.
Reaching up with two fingers to tap her forehead, he chuckled softly. "Don't be like that, elder sister. If you had concealed your gaze a little better when you came down the stairs, I wouldn't have guessed you were from Tianji Pavilion."
Ning Xiu was surprised. She had never expected this fellow had determined she was an operative of Tianji Pavilion solely from an inadvertent glance!
Seeing that she did not deny it, Li Guanqi smiled faintly and said quietly, "People from Tianji Pavilion really are everywhere. Still, there's one thing I'm rather curious about..."
Ning Xiu turned her head slightly to look at the youth, wondering what he intended to ask.
Seeing the anger in her eyes, Li Guanqi could only lower his leg with a sheepish grin and say gently, "I'll let your leg down, but don't go kicking!"
With that, he lowered his leg with a hint of reluctance. Ning Xiu glared at him with venomous hatred, but made no further move.
Inwardly, Li Guanqi marveled to himself, *So soft...*
Fortunately, his expression did not betray him. If Ning Xiu knew what he was thinking, she would have slashed at him several times no matter the cost.
"I want to know... why did Tianji Pavilion add those remarks about the Purgatory Mountain Range to my entry?"
Ning Xiu's expression changed slightly, her gorgeous brows knitting together.
In the end, she looked straight into Li Guanqi's eyes and shook her head, speaking candidly. "I don't know."
Li Guanqi clicked his tongue, then slowly released his hold on Ning Xiu.
Flipping his hand, he tossed the Tianji jade pendant back to her. Leaving only the sight of his back, he said softly, "I don't particularly enjoy dealing with you people from Tianji Pavilion.
"A tiny Tianji jade pendant, yet brimming with schemes. Tsk."
Hearing this, Ning Xiu's expression became somewhat unnatural. She naturally understood what functions the Tianji jade pendant possessed.
Catching the pendant, she channeled an extremely profound technique through her hands. The jade pendant flared with dazzling light before returning to normal.
With a conflicted expression, Ning Xiu spoke. "Tianji Pavilion bears absolutely no ill will toward you. This pendant will no longer expose your location.
"If you find Tianji Pavilion useful, you may still keep this jade pendant.
"As for why those words appeared on the ranking, I truly do not know.
"Because countless people covet the Tianji Rankings, past deeds are inevitably recorded alongside the placements."
Li Guanqi let out a soft sneer. He believed the matter was not so simple.
Still, the Tianji jade pendant was undeniably useful. Reaching out to take it back, he wiped a hand across his face, instantly shifting his features back to his previous disguised appearance.
Donning his bamboo hat, Li Guanqi turned and walked slowly into Blazing Flame Valley without looking back.
Ning Xiu watched the youth's retreating figure. Recalling everything that had just occurred, an inexplicable flutter stirred in her heart.
With a slight blush, she pressed her hands to her cheeks, feeling them burning hot.
The youth's masculine vitality and his boundless, surging blood qi had left her thoroughly unsettled.
Now, the moment she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with the image of both her hands being pinned by him.
Ning Xiu hesitated for a long while, but ultimately chose not to report Li Guanqi's whereabouts.
Though she did not know why he had come here, it was likely for the fire essence as well.
From the moment she left until she returned to the inn, Ning Xiu appeared in something of a daze. Several onlookers were intensely curious about what had happened.
After all, Ning Xiu was terrifying when enraged. The horrifying power of flames from earlier had been clearly visible to everyone even from dozens of li away.
Yet the moment Ning Xiu saw their prying stares, she planted her hands on her hips, drew her sword, and drove everyone out.
"Get lost! I'm not taking any business today! All of you, go stay across the street!"
Li Guanqi knew nothing of this, and even if he had, he would not have cared.
He strolled through Blazing Flame Valley as though walking inside an enormous furnace.
Even with primal energy protecting his body, every breath of scorching air felt like swallowing a massive mouthful of scalding chili water.
Such terrifying heat naturally reminded him of the map recorded inside the jade pendant.
A clear flame symbol marked the map. He did not know whether it merely indicated the searing heat of Blazing Flame Valley, or something else entirely.
Yet he vaguely sensed that this jade pendant was far more than it appeared on the surface.
Checking his bearings, Li Guanqi watched the space before him abruptly tear open. He stepped through, rapidly closing the distance toward the location marked on the map.
Chapter 329