My Two Mighty Spirit Beasts - Chapter 3

Shen Zhu glared at her as though she were his mortal enemy. He held me tight and refused to let go.

My junior sister used her spiritual power to bind his limbs with an immortal-binding cord.

Unable to break free, he glared at her, then turned pleading eyes on me. “Sister.”

I shook my head helplessly. “I can’t fight her for you, A-Zhu. I have no spiritual power left.”

My junior sister took Shen Zhu’s spirit essence.

Possession of that essence allowed a master to control a spirit beast’s movements before they formed a bond.

His eyes reddened. He looked as though he might shatter.

“Sister, I won’t bond with her.”

I rose on tiptoe to stroke his head and whispered in his ear, “But A-Zhu, a spirit beast can only defend itself after forming a bond.”

Xun Mu watched it all in silence.

After Shen Zhu was taken away, Xun Mu’s beautiful face filled my vision. His slender fingers began massaging my temples.

Early the next morning, word came that our once-every-five-years tournament had been brought forward.

Every five years, the sect held a tournament to rank its disciples. Whoever placed last would be expelled.

It was usually held in the tenth month. This year, it had suddenly been moved to the fourth.

The problem was that my spiritual power was depleted. I couldn’t compete at all.

Master said I only needed to attend as a spectator. After all, everyone knew I had the highest cultivation of any disciple in the sect.

My youngest junior sister entered with Shen Zhu.

I had trained him myself. With his help, she swept through her opponents.

Just as Master was about to declare her this year’s winner, she spoke up. “Master, I haven’t fought Senior Sister yet.”

Everyone turned to me.

“The rules say every disciple must take part in the sect tournament.”

One of the junior brothers whispered, “But Senior Sister seems to have no spiritual power right now.”

“So?” My junior sister smiled. “Is she no longer a disciple of our sect?”

Master settled the matter. “As our eldest disciple, Qin Tiao should set an example. We cannot make an exception for her.”

The moment he finished speaking, she thrust her Purple-Gold Flowing Cloud Sword at my face.

I dodged, but she pursued me relentlessly.

“Are you afraid to fight me, Senior Sister?”

As she spoke, her sword sliced through the hem of my robe.

I had no choice but to draw my Azure Cloud Saber and fight.

In martial skill, she was no match for me. My saber forced her back, step by step. When she reached the edge of the training ground, she sneered and formed a hand seal, bringing her magic into play.

Several streaks of white light shot toward me. I parried with my saber, but one hit my hand. My arm went numb at once.

She grinned triumphantly. “What good are fighting skills, Senior Sister? We cultivators aren’t mere brutes. Spiritual power is what matters.”

She began chanting. This time, the white light became countless arrows flying at me.

I twisted aside, but there were too many. They descended like an immense net, filling the sky.

I heard someone say, “Senior Sister will be hurt. Master, shouldn’t you tell our youngest sister to stop?”

He was unconcerned. “What’s a tournament without a little blood?”

Shen Zhu watched me anxiously. Under my junior sister’s control, he could do nothing but pace back and forth.

Xun Mu rushed toward me and raised a magical barrier, pouring all his strength into holding off the arrows.

“A mere Vermilion Bird. You overestimate yourself.”

My junior sister watched coldly, then waved at Shen Zhu. “Attack Xun Mu. Keep him out of the way.”

He couldn’t disobey her. Transforming into a great tiger, he opened his jaws to bite Xun Mu.

Holding off the arrows was already a struggle. Now Xun Mu had to guard against Shen Zhu too. His barrier grew weaker, and arrows began to break through.

Gritting his teeth, Xun Mu threw himself over me and held me in his arms, trying to shield me with his body.

Compelled to attack, Shen Zhu struck Xun Mu hard across the back with one paw, his eyes blood-red.

Xun Mu coughed up blood and clutched me tighter.

“I’ll protect you, Master.”

With his spirit essence under someone else’s control, Shen Zhu had become a puppet, his eyes scarlet.

Suddenly, he turned toward me in Xun Mu’s arms. Our eyes met. “Sister,” he called, his voice trembling.

His raised paw slammed into the ground. Instead of biting Xun Mu again, he closed his jaws around his own foreleg, as though pain could bring him back to his senses.

My junior sister noticed. “Shen Zhu! What are you doing?”

He let out a long roar, biting himself until blood poured from the wound. “I can’t make things worse for you,” he told me quietly.

“And I’ll come back to you.”

Xun Mu’s barrier shattered.

Arrows struck his shoulders and back. He didn’t cry out. He only looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, Master. I’m so useless.”

“Senior Sister can’t even fight back!” my junior sister crowed, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I’ve won!”