Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

The sword emerged like the sun, its heat intense and overwhelming. With the sound of "clang" thrice, after a few exchanges, even the Cyan Sword shattered completely with a "crack." Both swords were now damaged!

Celestial Favor Sword, shattering ordinary weapons!

Zhao Ranran shouted, "Your sword is destroyed, and you still refuse to surrender?!" By now, defeating Li Xian was secondary; more so, she sought to see Li Xian concede, to witness this bloodied youth in disgrace, proving her actions weren’t wrong.

Li Xian couldn’t be bothered to reply, retreating three steps. Zhao Ranran pursued him, suddenly sensing an icy gleam flash as the Ghost Python Spear lunged! Unable to evade it in time, she got a scratch on her left arm. Li Xian remained silent but grew more valiant with blood spilling, every spear thrust unstoppable.

Zhao Ranran had defeated many but never encountered such a fighting style. She wasn’t scared by the spear’s sharpness, but with a flaw within her heart, she feared the fearless intent of the spear. She cast a subtle glance at Li Xian’s face, wanting to see deceit, treachery, ugliness, disgrace. Yet, she saw resolve, decisiveness, nobility, handsomeness...She suddenly thought, "Is he really here to die!?"

Her sword play faltered, and she was forced back half a step. Heroes might be plentiful, but those who face death calmly are rare. Between life and death lies great fear. Zhao Ranran once encountered the Mother Tree of Ten Thousand Slumbers and feared being buried at the lake’s bottom, the terror still remembered today.

Seeing Li Xian’s reckless fighting, letting his blood flow while remaining calm and composed, was the first time she had witnessed this...Her heart was in turmoil and, step by step, she was forced back. She merely wanted to kill the Flower Thief, sever unwanted ties. Unexpectedly, her emotions twisted, leading to this outcome.

Zhao Ranran retreated another step, a few pebbles tumbling down the cliff. Her teeth clenched, stubbornly thought, "I’ll break your spear too, let’s see how you fare then!" The Celestial Favor Sword was unparalleled in sharpness, while the Ghost Python Spear, despite its mysterious origin, was far inferior in material.

Li Xian thrust the spear, like a dragon charging, like a tiger attacking.

Infuriated, Zhao Ranran’s strike was deep and resolute. Not only to break the spear but to utterly destroy it! Confronting Li Xian directly, her martial arts excelled, instantly reducing the Ghost Python Spear to countless silver fragments. A rare treasured spear, destroyed both in form and essence.

As if it never existed!

Zhao Ranran slightly relaxed, thinking such efforts should break Li Xian’s determination. Though his sword was destroyed and spear shattered, he immediately unleashed his fists, using the Four Directions Fist technique against her. At this moment, Zhao Ranran’s mind was confused; the fist technique seemed ordinary, yet its depth and mastery were at their peak!

She realized she no longer knew why she was fighting, dazedly thinking, "Do I really have to kill him?" She utilized Basic Sword Skill to defend.

Though it also achieved "Peak" mastery, the quality of swordsmanship was higher, more refined. Naturally, she held the upper hand.

Li Xian followed with the Clear Wind Leg, Jade Palm, Vast Leg... all manner of martial arts. Each time he switched techniques, Zhao Ranran also changed hers. Her techniques were consistently superior in quality with peak mastery.

Yet, the deeper the battle went, the more alarmed she became. Her martial arts were orthodox, interconnected, complete, and comprehensive. Li Xian’s seemed pieced together, without any system or affiliation. Many of his techniques had obvious flaws, extremely difficult to master at a profound level.

She was dominant across all aspects but grew more astonished. Though she lacked awareness of mundane hardships, she could sense the tremendous difficulty in mastering so many eclectic martial arts.

She always believed she was vanquishing the Flower Thief, punishing evil, praising virtue. But now she suddenly felt she was bullying Li Xian. With her innate advantages, familial training, and deep resources, she overwhelmed him at every turn. Though victorious, she felt no joy, her face growing increasingly pale.

Suddenly employing the move "Absolute Heart Severing", a lethal attack from the lower martial art "Bow for Real Sword". The sword upright, without subterfuge, but extraordinarily powerful. If pierced, the heart pulse breaks, leaving no chance of survival.

She unleashed the move with mind and body in chaos, expecting it nearly impossible to kill Li Xian. She suddenly didn’t want to kill him, her mind entangled in complexity. Yet she felt the sword edge pierce flesh, tearing through the chest, indeed penetrating blood and flesh. Disturbing the heart veins, severing vitality.

She awoke with a start, stepping back, her back pressing against a tree on the cliffside. Her pupils contracted.

Bow for Real Sword... this sword technique signifies the ancestors’ pursuit of truth, proceeding with a bow at every step, enduring countless hardships. Ultimately meeting the fate of ’Absolute Heart Severing’, without ever regretting.

Zhao Ranran didn’t expect to kill Li Xian this way. Her beautiful eyes looked at Li Xian, seeing his unchanged face, she asked inexplicably, "You...you...why?"

By now, it was deep into the night, late April, the moon was incomplete. The cold light shone on Li Xian’s cheeks, as vitality gradually faded.

He fell into the lake silently. A splash rose, sinking as soon as he touched the water.

Zhao Ranran stood devastated, "He really came to die? I actually killed him." Her breath slightly quickened, feeling neither gratification nor joy. Standing for a long time in the distance, her emotions lingering.

She saw Absolute Palm Peak stained with blood, following the trail, she could decipher Li Xian’s various martial arts. Having exterminated the Flower Thieves, fulfilling her wish, yet paradoxically felt confused and disoriented.

The bleak moonlight poured down, clouds gloomy and dim.

Zhao Ranran stood by the cliff for a long time, recalling the recent battle, Li Xian’s resolute face, decisive eyes... deeply affected, her heart unsettled for a long time, "I achieved my wish, those Flower Thieves never saw my face, already died under my sword. The connection severed before it started, exterminating the Water Altar, saving Liuli, it could be considered Perfect. So why am I not happy?"

"Forcing Nangong Liuli was indeed not bright, my obsession with killing Li Xian disturbed my thoughts momentarily. Leading to Nangong Xuanming’s deceitful manipulation. Li Xian was cunning, evading capture multiple times, not a fool. If he accepted the challenge to die, it must’ve been to save Nangong Liuli, staking his life. If he died by my sword, Nangong Xuanming and the false kinship could never be established."