Chapter 246: Auntie’s Pretty Strong!

Perhaps because a battle was imminent and loose hair would be inconvenient, or maybe because Ye Chen was staring too intently at her ears, An Miaoli retrieved a jade hairpin from her storage ring. With graceful movements, she pinned her long hair up high, revealing the soft curve of her jawline and her luminous, jade-like complexion.

Her expression calm, An Miaoli pointed to three Netherwater Pools. “These three pools are each a kilometer apart, connected beneath the surface. Of course, there are likely more exits than these three. But if you use the array discs I gave you to seal these openings the moment the Wind-Thunder Jiao emerges, I’m confident I can slay it before it escapes to a farther exit.”

Ye Chen nodded, pulling out the three array discs An Miaoli had given him earlier, signaling he understood.

“Then conceal your aura and approach stealthily,” she instructed. “Be careful. If you’re spotted early, retreat immediately.”

An Miaoli’s tone was serious. The Wind-Thunder Jiao, with its trace of dragon blood, was exceptionally formidable, far beyond the average cultivator of its realm. Though Ye Chen was a genius, he was only in the early Golden Core stage.

Ye Chen nodded again. In the next moment, he activated a top-tier aura-concealing technique he’d obtained from the system, erasing all traces of his presence.

An Miaoli said no more. Her slender, graceful figure, draped in a white spirit robe, floated toward the Netherwater Pools. Positioning herself at the center of the three pools, she gently raised her hand.

With that simple gesture, all three pool entrances erupted, sending hundreds of meters of water shooting upward like volcanic geysers. A deafening roar echoed as the ground itself seemed to tremble.

Ye Chen’s eyebrows shot up. An Miaoli’s strength was impressive, worthy of the Divine Will Sect’s grand elder. But with her this powerful, his daydream of playing the hero, turning the tide, and presenting her with a grand gift was clearly out of the question.

As An Miaoli made her move, Ye Chen didn’t dawdle. Concealing his presence, he silently glided toward the pool entrances.

…

Meanwhile, a thunderous roar echoed, shaking the earth.

The waters of one Netherwater Pool, just settled from its earlier eruption, exploded again. A massive black creature surged from the depths.

It was an enormous beast, at least a hundred meters long, its serpentine body five meters thick. Though snake-like, it bore sharp claws and a pair of massive wings. Covered in black scales and radiating a ferocious aura, its presence was overwhelming.

This was unmistakably the Wind-Thunder Jiao. Its speed was staggering. With a single flap of its wings, a gale roared to life. In an instant, it lunged at An Miaoli, jaws snapping.

An Miaoli remained composed, gracefully retreating to dodge the attack. She struck out with a palm, and a giant hand of spiritual energy materialized, hurtling toward the beast’s massive head.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao’s eyes glinted as it spat a bolt of black divine lightning, shattering the spiritual hand. Its enormous tail, unnoticed until now, whipped silently toward An Miaoli’s head from above.

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But An Miaoli sensed it, her expression unchanging. She darted back a hundred meters, evading the terrifying strike.

Fueled by bloodlust, the Wind-Thunder Jiao flapped its wings and charged at her again.

As the battle drew them farther away, Ye Chen realized An Miaoli was creating an opportunity for him. She wouldn’t unleash her full strength until he sealed the three pool entrances with the array discs.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen glided to the first pool, activated an array disc, and tossed it down. Instantly, a golden barrier enveloped the entrance, covering the pool and a hundred meters of surrounding land. Even a late Golden Core cultivator would struggle to break it quickly.

Satisfied, Ye Chen moved to the next pool.

The disturbance from the array caught Wind-Thunder Jiao’s attention. Sensing Ye Chen’s intent, its massive eyes flashed with cold malice, and it turned to charge at him.