Chapter Fifty-One: The Divine Beast Qilin Joins the Battle

“Remnant Snow Sword?”

Ling Yan gazed in confusion at the sharp blade in Xi Yan’s hand, unable to help but sigh, “That Remnant Snow Sword was your father’s most cherished possession. I never imagined he would pass it down to you!”

“Are you afraid now?” Xi Yan teased. “Hurry and bring out your treasure!” As she spoke, she lightly danced her Remnant Snow Sword. With her elegant flourish, several pale pink plum blossoms drifted from the blade, their delicate beauty heightened by the cold, biting aura of the sword. Paired with the sword’s name, the scene truly possessed a refined, lofty atmosphere.

Clearly, anything beloved by the God of War must be no ordinary weapon.

Ling Yan knew well that after centuries apart, Xi Yan—obsessed with martial arts—must have soared in skill under the God of War’s tutelage. Without hesitation, she summoned her own Jade Cold Xiao. With that ancient divine weapon in her grasp, her heart steadied; the pressure Xi Yan’s sword had exerted moments before vanished completely.

“Prepare yourself!” Xi Yan issued a courteous challenge, then thrust her slender Remnant Snow Sword straight through the air. Though at least five meters separated them, the sword’s aura, empowered by Xi Yan’s formidable spiritual energy, was razor-sharp. Even Bai Mu, merely a spectator, felt a chill of fear.

Under the gaze of all present, a fierce qilin leapt from the blade, charging at Ling Yan with astonishing speed. The qilin wasn’t particularly large, and its appearance matched the illustrations Ling Yan had seen in the Bestiary of Bai Ze: a lion-like head, dazzling dragon scales, and four stout legs like those of an elephant. Its leap exuded such powerful majesty that all were compelled to respect it.

“Perfect timing!” Ling Yan remarked, calmly soaring into the air, her movements as graceful as a dancing crane. Even in the midst of peril, she remained poised and serene; her beauty seemed to radiate from within, undiminished by any circumstance.

She wielded her Jade Cold Xiao with precision. As her wrist turned the instrument, countless shadows of the xiao multiplied, layering and swirling through the sky, transforming the air into a dazzling, chaotic spectacle.

Once the myriad xiao shadows gathered their strength, they moved as one, launching a coordinated assault on the glaring qilin. This was the third time Bai Mu had witnessed Ling Yan use the Xiao Shadow Formation in battle.

The first was atop Mang Mountain, where she had only tested the waters, using the formation to repel a feeble Dream Mo. Later, amidst the Hundred-Mile Peach Forest of Dayong, she had bravely used it to defeat the Evil Flood Dragon conjured by the Sword Immortal Xuanyuan’s giant sword illusion. But both enemies had been pitifully weak; Ling Yan hadn’t exerted even thirty percent of her power.

Now, however, the qilin was a different matter entirely. Ling Yan’s cautious expression made it clear. The qilin was among the Four Ancient Divine Beasts, birthed at the dawn of creation alongside the primal forces of heaven and earth. Its strength rivaled that of the fierce bird Bi Fang and the savage beast Qiong Qi.

What astonished everyone was Xi Yan’s effortless control of the qilin, given her youth—a prowess that made Bai Mu, a grown man, feel thoroughly humbled. As a spectator, he found himself tense with worry for his teammate from the very start.

But Ling Yan was no ordinary opponent. Since entering the wilds of the lower realm, she had fought several major battles. With each, her experience grew, her cultivation soared, and her confidence and ability in combat rose as well.

Thus, as the qilin howled and charged, Ling Yan calmly conjured her Xiao Shadow Formation, meeting its advance with organized precision.

With a thunderous roar, the qilin faced the dense maze of xiao shadows, then, with reckless abandon, charged into the thickest cluster.

Bai Mu cried out in alarm, now worrying for the qilin itself. He knew well the potency of Ling Yan’s formation. Though the shadows appeared ordinary, each was laced with countless streams of sword energy. He still remembered vividly how Xuanyuan’s Evil Flood Dragon had been shredded by that sword aura.

Though the qilin was one of the Four Ancient Divine Beasts and possessed extraordinary power, charging headlong into the strongest concentration of sword energy was tantamount to courting death.

After Bai Mu’s loud cry, the qilin’s eyes, round and shining like bronze bells, swept sideways, casting a glance his way. The radiance in its gaze betrayed gratitude for Bai Mu’s concern.

Yet the qilin was a true king among beasts, its innate nobility far beyond lesser creatures like the Dream Mo or the Evil Flood Dragon.

As its massive, formidable body crashed into the densest part of the Xiao Shadow Formation, the shadows transformed as predicted, morphing into fierce sword energies that stabbed at the qilin from every direction.

Yet the qilin, undaunted, unleashed another mighty roar. Instead of withdrawing, it pressed forward, intent on breaking through the thousand sword shadows by sheer force.

All three present held their breath, anxious to see the outcome of this clash between the qilin and the Xiao Shadow Formation.

Ling Yan, having unleashed her extraordinary attack, did not simply stand back to watch. Just as the formation and the qilin were about to collide, she once more swept her Jade Cold Xiao through the air. Her spiritual power flowed through her fingers into the instrument, and from within its body, a vibrant azure phoenix soared, circling twice overhead before shrieking and diving straight for Xi Yan’s position.

Now, with both sides calling forth the divine beasts hidden within their treasures, the contest would reveal who held the greater power.

Suddenly, the qilin crashed into the Xiao Shadow Formation, producing a strange, resounding noise. The force of its body shattered the formation.

Since Bai Mu had known Ling Yan, her Xiao Shadow Formation had never failed—whether against the cunning Dream Mo, the fierce Evil Flood Dragon, or even the savage bird Bi Fang, she always held the upper hand.

But today, in a single instant, the formation she prided herself on was completely dispersed by the qilin’s overwhelming force. The sword energies barely scratched the grooves in its hide, as though tickling it rather than causing harm—let alone wounding it.