Jiang Qingshuang, naturally, did not see Lin Yun as a threat. In her eyes, no matter how strong this young man's abilities were, he could never break through the ultimate limit of their difference in power. For all his years of self-assured strength, a man like Xiao Pingtian was nothing in the eyes of a true cultivator.
Seeing Jiang Qingshuang agree to his terms, Lin Yun breathed a sigh of relief. If this woman had maintained her hardline stance, it would have been a much more troublesome situation for him. In the current circumstances, however, he had more options.
He looked at Jiang Qingshuang and grinned. "Since you've agreed, I hope you will honor your promise."
Everything was going according to Lin Yun's plan.
Hearing his words, Jiang Qingshuang just smiled coolly. "You can rest assured. I absolutely will not go back on my word."
Seeing that Jiang Qingshuang was set, Lin Yun slowly raised the God-Slaying Bow in his hands. He didn't know his exact chances of success, but dealing with the woman before him shouldn't be a problem. Jiang Qingshuang's strength was indeed formidable, but the power of the God-Slaying Bow was simply too terrifying.
Previously, a casual arrow from Lin Yun had been enough to severely injure Xiao Pingtian. If he were to unleash a full-power strike now, Lin Yun couldn't even imagine what Jiang Qingshuang would have to face.
At this moment, Jiang Qingshuang was completely unaware that she had already fallen into Lin Yun's trap. She even naively believed that her victory this time was assured.
Then, Lin Yun began to attack.
Jiang Qingshuang simply stood her ground, casually blocking his offensive with one hand. For a full quarter of an hour, even after racking his brains, Lin Yun still couldn't do a thing to her. It wasn't just the gap in their cultivation realms, but also the vast difference in their combat experience.
"Although you've grown quite a bit in the Ancient Forbidden Land," the Chongqing Bird commented, "you are still far too lacking. These people are all characters who have clawed their way out of a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses."
As a young man, Lin Yun's strength was indeed impressive. But compared to these old veterans who had been famous for ages, he was still a bit too green. Because of this, no matter how he performed now, he couldn't break through that final barrier.
"I know I can't defeat her," Lin Yun replied in his mind. "But even so, I must go all out right now."
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yun's eyes burned with intensity as he looked at Jiang Qingshuang. This wasn't just about challenging her; it was about breaking through his own limits. He was just a single step away from entering the Sky-Soaring Realm. Therefore, he couldn't give up easily in this battle.
"I have heard quite a bit about you," Jiang Qingshuang said, her voice dripping with contempt. "In the eyes of others, you may be a genius. But to me, you are far from enough."
She naturally knew what Lin Yun was thinking. For the current Lin Yun, the gap between them was an insurmountable chasm.
Lin Yun smiled, gasping for breath, then straightened his back. "I know my strength is not equal to yours, and I understand that defeating you will be difficult. But I didn't come here today to defeat you." He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the Firmament Sword.
"That's true," Jiang Qingshuang said mockingly. "With your level of skill, you should understand that against an opponent like me, you are doomed to lose. And yet, you have no way of solving this problem."
Just as she was sneering, Lin Yun once again swung his sword and charged forward.
First, a move from the Great River Sword Style. A rolling wave of sword Qi surged towards her like the waters of the Yangtze.
Jiang Qingshuang sneered. The momentum of the sword was vast and majestic. If it were unleashed by someone in the Myriad Law Realm, she might need to be a little careful. But coming from Lin Yun? Heh, it wasn't even worth her notice.
"Go!" Jiang Qingshuang joined her fingers and pointed. A terrifying energy burst from their tips. The two forces collided in an earth-shaking boom.
Seeing that his sword Qi couldn't suppress her in the slightest, Lin Yun didn't hesitate, successively unleashing several different sword styles. The sword Qi was relentless, like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
Now, Jiang Qingshuang was both shocked and angry. This boy could so adroitly master so many different sword techniques. This almost completely violated their understanding of sword cultivators. But even so, it couldn't change his fate.
Jiang Qingshuang was brimming with confidence, but suddenly, she noticed something unexpected. Lin Yun was faintly showing signs of a breakthrough.
At this moment, Jiang Qingshuang finally understood why Lin Yun had come here to challenge them. This boy intended to use them as a whetstone to temper his own strength and become stronger.
Jiang Qingshuang snorted and casually flicked her right hand. A vast wave of power erupted, separating them.
"You want to break through here? In your dreams!" she roared, naturally refusing to give Lin Yun a chance to change his destiny.
But it was already too late to stop him. Lin Yun was fully prepared. Still, Jiang Qingshuang launched an enraged attack. Two waves of energy exploded, releasing an extremely powerful protective aura. A portion of that force slammed into Lin Yun like a heavy hammer.
Lin Yun, however, used this opportunity to be blasted backward at high speed.
Jiang Qingshuang, now completely relaxed, gloated, "I promised you ten moves. Nine have already passed, and you couldn't do a thing to me. You should probably start thinking about how you'd like to die."
She was incredibly smug as she spoke. After all, the outcome was certain. Their exchange just now had made the situation perfectly clear.
Suddenly, a violent palpitation seized Jiang Qingshuang's heart. In that instant, it was as if she sensed something. She looked in shock toward the distant Lin Yun.
At that very moment, a great bow was clutched in his hands.
"What is that thing?" Jiang Qingshuang muttered to herself. Although she didn't know what the bow was, for some reason, the very instant it appeared, she felt a primal sense of danger.
But Lin Yun was currently being flung backward by her attack. Even if she wanted to pursue him, it was too late. Because at that very moment, Lin Yun had already begun to bend the bow and nock an arrow.
"Didn't you say you'd wait for my ten moves?" A smile hung on the corner of Lin Yun's lips. "This is the last one."
In her heart, Jiang Qingshuang had looked down on Lin Yun. That was why he had been able to seize this opportunity, to control her at every turn. It was just as the panel had shown. And though she had considered that Lin Yun might have some tricks up his sleeve, she never imagined that the boy held in his hands a weapon capable of killing her. She certainly never thought that in this battle, Lin Yun would use the God-Slaying Bow to inflict a grievous wound upon her.
Lin Yun drew the bowstring back into a half-moon, then aimed it at the sky and let loose.
A sound tore through the air as the arrow, as if it had grown eyes, shot towards Jiang Qingshuang.
A moment ago, Jiang Qingshuang had been full of confidence. But now, without the slightest hesitation, she turned and fled.