How to Be the Perfect Junior Sister to a Reborn Villain - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

As time passed, the battlefield grew ever more perilous.

Huddled within the protective range of her master and third senior brother, Li Xi focused on absorbing the moonlight, trying to restore her depleted spiritual power as quickly as possible.

Just as she popped a Spirit-Replenishing Pill into her mouth, the ground beneath her suddenly split open.

A strange black vine burst out of the earth, rapidly spreading in all directions. Countless tendrils whipped through the night air like serpents, lashing violently at the disciples on the field.

Screams filled the air one after another.

Many disciples, caught off guard, were struck by the vines and fell from the sky only to be ensnared midair, dangling upside down as they were swung about like broken kites.

The crowd in the spectator stands collectively gasped. The entire battlefield was now carpeted in those dark, twisting vines, coiling together like a nest of giant serpents. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Li Xi tried to dodge, but a vine suddenly shot out and wrapped tightly around her ankle. The next second, she was yanked upside down and sent spinning wildly through the air.

“My heavens! What is that vine?!”

“It looks like some sort of demonic vine, but not a Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, or they’d already be nothing but skin.”

One knowledgeable disciple on the stands peered closely and said,
“It’s a Soul-Devouring Vine, a kind of demonic plant that feeds on spiritual energy and life force.

It may not look as gruesome as a Bloodthirsty Vine, but once it wraps around you, it drains your vitality and spirit in moments. Hardly anyone escapes its grasp.”

Dangling midair, Li Xi could no longer even scream. Her vitality and spiritual energy were draining fast.

Her head was spinning so hard she couldn’t tell up from down, let alone strike back.

She felt like her brain was about to burst if she didn’t die from exhaustion, she’d die from dizziness.

Well, at least I won’t have to choose where to fall, she thought faintly before another dizzying swing cut off her thoughts.

Yan Jiuzhi’s heart seized as he saw his little junior sister caught in the vine.

The base of the vine was a tangled mess, and countless tendrils whipped about in the darkness. There was no way to tell which one had her.

Sword light flared around him. He unleashed countless blades of energy, each slicing through the vines in every direction.

Vines fell in heaps, freeing many struggling disciples.

But the one holding Li Xi remained unbroken, still twisting arrogantly in the air, almost as if mocking him.

Those still free attacked furiously, using fire spells, wind blades, lightning strikes everything they could muster.

Yet the most effective were thunder and fire techniques and sword qi.

Lin Shanlai and several other sword cultivators quickly formed a sword formation. Blades wove together into a massive web, cutting down vine after vine wherever it passed.

Still, many disciples vanished midair in flashes of blue light, defeated and sent back to the spectator zone.

Yan Jiuzhi lowered his gaze, concentrating his power. One finger rested lightly against his sword.

Within his dark eyes, countless phantom blades seemed to take form. Around him, invisible sword intent stirred the air, ringing with the faint cry of steel.

Then.

A blinding flash.

A single, unparalleled sword strike tore through the night, filled with boundless killing intent. It illuminated the entire battlefield.

The strike ripped through countless vines and plunged deep into the earth, piercing the hidden core of the Soul-Devouring Vine.

The core, swollen with stolen vitality and spirit, shattered instantly, bursting into dust.

The vines, once wildly thrashing, suddenly lost their strength and collapsed, smashing into the ground and carving deep cracks through the dirt.

The slender girl suspended in the air had already lost consciousness. Her body went limp as she fell.

Yan Jiuzhi, though drained, didn’t hesitate.

He leaped upward, catching her in midair.

She was pale as paper, eyes closed, delicate as porcelain, so fragile she looked like she might break if he breathed too hard.

But before they could even land, the girl’s body suddenly flared with a bright blue light..

And vanished from his arms.

Yan Jiuzhi froze in place, still holding the empty air as if she were there.

For a long moment, he didn’t move.

Only when Lin Shanlai shouted, “Jiuzhi! Left side!” did he snap back.

Instinctively, he spun and unleashed a burst of sword qi, cleaving a lurking demon crow clean in two.

He clenched his fist and looked toward the distant spectator stands.

All that remained visible there was a crumbling section of wall.

His eyes gleamed faintly beneath the night sky, unreadable, the emotions within too deep to decipher.

But one thing was clear his strikes grew sharper, faster, and far more ruthless.

The elders watching from above were all on their feet after witnessing that astounding sword.

Even among the powerful sword cultivators, few could remain calm.

For over a thousand years, the Taixian Sect had not seen a sword prodigy like this.

“This boy is truly heaven’s favored! If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never believe a foundation-stage disciple could unleash such a sword.”

“Xiaoyou, send this disciple to me. I still have some insight into the sword path—I can offer him guidance anytime.”

“Indeed. As long as he remains in the sect, he may seek instruction from me whenever he wishes.”

One after another, the sword masters spoke up, eager to take him under their wing.

Xiaoyou’s pride was plain as day. He, too, intended to teach Yan Jiuzhi personally, leaving nothing behind.

Even Cheng Yuan’s eyes glimmered with satisfaction as his fan tapped rhythmically against his palm.

Yan Jiuzhi was still only at the Foundation stage—he had so much room to grow.

In his previous life, he had risen purely through raw strength, crushing countless geniuses underfoot. His talent needed no further proof.

This was only the beginning.

Elder Dikong smiled faintly.
“The child you favor is indeed astonishing.”

“Naturally,” Cheng Yuan replied with an easy grin. “When has my eye ever failed me?”

As for the hidden fate they’d sensed earlier, it was likely just a trick of the Heavenly Demons.

At most, it meant that the so-called “Heavenly Demon’s proxy” had regained memories from before time rewound.

But what of it? Yan Jiuzhi was not Xia Mengxue.

This game between humans and demons was just getting interesting.

The elders weren’t the only ones stirred the entire spectator section erupted in awe.

“By the heavens, my eyes are burning! That’s Foundation-stage power?!”

“I feel like I built a fake foundation…”

“Unreal! From now on, Senior Brother Yan Jiuzhi is my guiding star, my life goal!”

“Are sword cultivators always this strong? Is it too late to switch paths?!”

Meanwhile, Li Xi who’d been teleported back had fainted for quite a while before finally waking up.

The moment she opened her eyes, all she heard was noise, endless chatter keeping her from resting.

Blinking groggily, she found herself lying on a reclining chair, with Senior Sister Lin Ruo and Xiao Cui hovering over her in concern.

Nearby, Uncle Gao groaned on his own chair.
“Ahhh, my old bones are falling apart…”

Li Xi turned her head and blinked. Uncle Gao didn’t even look old anymore, more like a refined middle-aged scholar.

“Uncle, did you get flung to death like me?”

“Death? Bah, nonsense. My waist’s just about to snap, girl, quick give me a healing spell.”

“Junior Sister, give  me one too,” groaned another voice. “I’ve only got one breath left…”

“And me, Junior Sister, I need one too…” came another weak, cracking voice.

“Me too…”

All around, their fellow disciples were sprawled on the ground, groaning pitifully.

Only now did Li Xi notice there were bodies everywhere.

Judging from their wild, tangled hair, their “cause of death” was probably the same as hers.

Still dizzy but recovering, she hurried to cast a few healing spells.

Gradually, the “corpses” around her stirred back to life, sitting up with weary groans.

After thanking her, they began fussing over their hair while muttering complaints.

“Well, that’s a new one. I can now say I’ve experienced what it’s like to be whipped to death by vines.”

A golden core stage senior rubbed his face, looking mortified.
“Tell me about it. That was brutal.”

“Brutal? It was deadly! I swear, this was tougher than the last sect competition!”

Someone looked around, startled.
“Hey, half the participants died this time! Usually, it’s barely a third!”

The crowd erupted again, half-laughing, half-crying none quite believing what they’d just survived.