21 The Mysterious Intruder

The bright sunlight and beautiful familiar scenery greeted Xiang Ling as she appeared inside her space.

Though her sudden interaction with Xin Cheng and Li Dao Ming soured her mood a little, it was still not enough to dampen the happy and bright feelings that she received along with those hundred silver taels.

She stretched out her arms, allowing her body to absorb the good energy of nature around her while letting go of the tension from her muscles. But the smile from her lips disappeared as her ears first registered the crackling in the air around her before her eyes noticed the sudden burst of black smoke. The very next moment, a hooded figure was standing not too far away from her.

Xiang Ling took in the intruder from head to toe while her brain tried to process exactly what her eyes had just seen. Someone actually broke into her space - an act that was unheard of throughout the realms. This person was clad in black colored brocade. A hood was covering his face and even his hands were hidden in gloves, not even the slightest bit of his skin was seen which only made Xiang Ling more anxious about his identity.

"W-who are you?" She found herself asking once she got hold of her voice which came out loud and clear much to her surprise. Her eyes refused to leave the hooded figure even for a second as she waited for a response.

Several long moments of silence passed and she got no response from the person. She took a few steps toward the person before repeating her question - "Who are you? How did you enter my space?"

What she wanted to know most was not the identity of the hooded figure but how they entered her space. Throughout her lifetime of ten thousand years, she never heard of the possibility of a second person entering a cultivator's space.

At first, she thought that she would still not get any answers from that person but after a moment of silence, the person hiding under the hood finally spoke - "You don't have to pay me any attention. I'm here just for a rest. Treat it like you saw nothing."

Out of everything that Xiang Ling was expecting to hear, this was definitely not it. Nor was she ready for the soft musical voice that man possessed, it was like a sweet melody to her ears. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it as she wasn't sure what to say.

As she was busy arranging her thoughts, she noticed the man starting to walk away. "Stop!" She quickly called out and started walking toward him. "You can't go anywhere without answering my questions."

But the mysterious man had no plans of following her plan as he continued to walk away. Not having any other option left, Xiang Ling summoned her powers and used a simple spell to freeze the man in his steps. However, her spell disintegrated into nothingness even before it touched that person.

Realizing that the man was quite powerful, Xiang Ling finally stopped playing safe and summoned her Celestial Thunder Whip before she charged toward the man. The last thing she wanted was a fight inside her space but she didn't have many options left at the moment.

Her movements were swift and precise as she wielded the whip, its crackling energy filling the air. Despite being in a mortal body, her powers and years of training didn't disappoint her as she weaved attack after attack toward her opponent. Yet, the mysterious man in hooded robes effortlessly dodged every strike, his movements fluid and seemingly unhindered by her celestial weapon.

It didn't take long before Xiang Ling realized that whoever was behind that hood, was quite powerful. She didn't have enough time to find out his exact cultivation level so she just switched tactics and drew her meteorite sword with a determined gleam in her eyes.

Her attacks were skilled and powerful but despite her skilled swordplay, the man danced around her with an almost playful grace. No matter how much power she used, she was unable to faze the man even for a mere second.

In a surprising turn of events, the man suddenly seized Xiang Ling's hands, disarming her and pulling her back against him. She was too stunned to react quickly and by the time she realized what just happened, her body was caged in his arms. The moment her back came in contact with his chest, she felt a sudden jolt of energy surge through her entire body, almost making her knees go weak for a moment.

Xiang Ling had to shake her head several times to get herself focused on the man and not on how he was making her feel. Instead of paying attention to the unusual feeling, she used the chance to engage in physical combat with the man while attempting to unveil the man's face.

Her fingers deftly worked to reveal the person behind the mysterious hood but just like before, the man handled her attacks as if they were nothing. Their movements were like a delicate dance, a fusion of combat and an unspoken connection.

The man skillfully parried her attempts, his movements displaying a mix of amusement and skill. Despite the intensity of the fight, a subtle tension lingered between them, a mysterious energy that surpassed mere adversaries.

After numerous attempts, Xiang Ling finally found a perfect chance and succeeded in revealing the man's face. The moment his hood came down, Xiang Ling found herself looking straight into two mesmerizing orbs that were ablaze with pure fire.

Time seemed to slow as their eyes locked and Xiang Ling felt the world around her turning to dust as she got sucked into those fiery pits. Her mind became fuzzy, and her body became energyless. If not for his strong arms that wrapped around her waist, she would have ended up on the ground as she felt herself getting sucked into the abyss of darkness.

Her eyes were about to shut when she felt something soft against her lips. Through her partially closed eyes, she saw him up close and those blazing orbs of his slowly turned into beautiful sapphire before turning bright emerald and finally raven dark... and then she was swept away by the darkness.