She quickly flipped over and saw a gigantic beast over three meters tall walk out from the bushes... It was a Wind and Cloud Leopard, its body silver-gray, eyes like lightning, surrounded by a faint aura of Wind Attribute Demon Qi.
"A Xuanwu Realm Wind and Cloud Leopard..."
Xie Qingxuan’s heart tightened, her face instantly turning ashen pale.
Given her current strength, facing such a level of Demon Beast hardly offered any chance of victory.
The second Wind Blade came attacking, and Xie Qingxuan rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging it.
The Wind Blade cut into the trunk behind her, snapping the sturdy tree with ease.
"Can’t escape back to the cave..."
She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to calm down.
"Gu Sheng is still inside recovering. If it gets drawn there..."
With this thought, Xie Qingxuan endured the intense pain in her back and stood up.
She had to deal with this Demon Beast here, or... be dealt with by it.
The Wind and Cloud Leopard seemed to sense her fear, letting out a low growl as it slowly approached.
With each step it took, the air around it slightly twisted, showcasing its exquisite control over Wind Attribute Demon Qi.
"Roar!"
The Wind and Cloud Leopard suddenly opened its mouth, sending three Wind Blades at Xie Qingxuan in a triangle formation.
Xie Qingxuan hurriedly tried to evade, but still one blade grazed her shoulder, leaving her flesh bloody and torn.
The intense pain made her vision darken, barely able to stand.
"Too weak..."
She thought in despair.
"I have too little combat experience, facing such a level of Demon Beast leaves me with no power to resist..."
The Wind and Cloud Leopard gave her no respite, sending several more Wind Blades her way.
Xie Qingxuan rolled awkwardly on the ground to dodge, but one blade still sliced her thigh, blood instantly soaking her pants.
"No... if this continues..."
Xie Qingxuan leaned against a massive rock, gasping for breath.
Her clothes were already blood-soaked, her vision blurring from blood loss.
The Wind and Cloud Leopard seemed in no hurry to kill her, approaching slowly like a cat toying with a mouse, enjoying its prey’s fear.
Xie Qingxuan suddenly recalled the way Gu Sheng faced those Heavenly Martial Realm and Sect Realm powerhouses... Never hesitating even when knowing defeat was inevitable.
That young man always managed to unleash astonishing power in desperate situations.
"Now... it’s my turn to protect him..."
Xie Qingxuan murmured to herself, determination in her eyes.
She tremblingly drew a short sword from her waist... It was the self-defense item given by Gu Sheng, though to a Xuanwu Realm Demon Beast, it was almost like a toy.
"Fight..."
She forced herself to stand straight.
"Even if I die, I cannot lack the courage to fight desperately..."
"Boom..."
Another Wind Blade grazed Xie Qingxuan’s cheek, leaving a bloodied mark on her fair skin.
She staggered back a few steps, her back pressed against the cold rock wall, her chest heaving violently.
"Can’t go on like this..."
Xie Qingxuan reverse-gripped the short sword, holding her breath, her body as taut as a bowstring.
The Wind and Cloud Leopard finally couldn’t hold back, lunging out from behind the rock like lightning! Xie Qingxuan saw only a gray shadow flash past, instinctively dodging to the right, yet still half a step too slow.
"Pffft..."
Pain surged from her left shoulder, the Wind and Cloud Leopard’s fangs deeply embedded in her flesh.
Xie Qingxuan’s vision went dark, nearly fainting, but she bit down on her tongue, spreading the taste of blood in her mouth, the pain keeping her conscious.
"It’s now!"
Xie Qingxuan endured the pain, her right hand thrusting the Cold Star short sword like a snake’s tongue, precisely into the Wind and Cloud Leopard’s left eye!
"Aaah..."
The Demon Beast let out a wretched howl, frantically shaking its head to break free.
Xie Qingxuan firmly grasped its fur, channeling all her True Qi into the short sword.
"Explode!"
With her delicate shout, the runes on the Cold Star short sword suddenly lit up, the wild True Qi exploding within the Wind and Cloud Leopard’s skull!
"Boom!"
The Wind and Cloud Leopard’s head burst like a watermelon, red and white matter splattering all over Xie Qingxuan.
The massive beast corpse crashed down, pinning her underneath.
"Ugh..."
Xie Qingxuan struggled out from beneath the corpse, the wound on her left shoulder horrifically visible, with blood staining half her clothes.
Trembling, she pulled out the broken fang embedded in her shoulder, cold sweat soaking her back.

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