“You”

Meng Lin's voice trembled with a mix of surprise and caution as she locked eyes with the mysterious figure. The air grew heavy with tension as she prepared herself for what could potentially be a dangerous encounter.

The figure remained silent, his eyes concealed by the darkness of his hood. The only visible feature was the small white patch of a demonic head on his cloak, giving off an eerie and ominous aura.

Meng Lin tightened her grip on the Mystic Lunar Sword, her fingers tracing the intricate engravings on its hilt.

“Why have you been observing me” Meng Lin asked, her voice barely audible amidst the silence that enveloped them.

However without a word, the figure slowly raised his hand, revealing a glimmering silver blade that seemed to radiate an otherworldly energy. The blade crackled with power, matching the intensity of Meng Lin's own sword.

Clang!

Meng Lin swiftly brought up her sword, blocking the figure's sudden attack. The clash of the two blades echoed through the surrounding darkness, sending sparks flying in all directions.

As their weapons collided, Meng Lin’s eyes widened and the ground beneath her began to cave in.

“Oh” the mysterious man finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "You possess great strength for someone who has just broken through to the Gold Core Realm. It seems I may have underestimated you."

Meng Lin's heart pounded in her chest as she felt the power emanating from her opponent.

She looked on with astonishment as an eerie demonic head appeared behind the man and his aura skyrocketed to the sky.

Now that Meng Lin had reached the Gold Core Realm she was able to clearly see the difference in their stages and it was just as she had expected.

He was a late stage Gold Core cultivator, and an experienced one at that, the dangerous aura caused her to jump backwards as the demonic head behind the man opened it’s mouth.

Peng!!

A loud explosion echoed through the air as a beam of light burst out from within the mouth of the demonic head.

It headed towards Meng Lin with unimaginable speed, and in that split second, she instinctively knew that she would be unable to block it with her newfound power.

While in midair she watched as the beam of light approached and a bright light enveloped her body as a large collision sent shockwaves throughout the area.

Meng Lin felt the force of the impact push her back, but her brute qi had blocked it and she easily recovered and regained her footing, landing on a large piece of debrie.

With her body radiating aura even more powerful than before she held a condescending smile as she took a step forward.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance!“

The figure paused for a moment, his gaze widening at the casual way that his attack had been blocked.

He didn’t seem to like it as it only caused him to clench his fist tight. A sinister smirk formed on his face as he answered, his voice dripping with malice.

“You appear to have a special physique, but don’t think that you can talk on the same level just because of that”

He raised his sword in the air and Meng Lin felt a drop in temperature as a chilling breeze swept through the area. Ice crystals began to form around the figure, showcasing his mastery over the element of ice.

Meng Lin's eyes narrowed, her determination unshaken. She knew she had to stay focused and not let his words or abilities intimidate her.

She watched in amazement as the man swang his sword releasing a familiar aura of intent.

Burst!!

A burst of ice formed and covered the 10 meter radius of the man and Meng Lin jumped back as ice formed where she stood.

‘Is that intent’ she wondered as she landed a few meters back, ‘regardless I better make this quick, my gold core is becoming unstable.’

Thump

A heartbeat reverberated across the area as Meng Lin stopped using her Brute Qi, causing the Mark on her arm to shine with a ruthless aura.

Boom

From where she stood fire erupted as a golden lizard sprung out from her hand to surround her, gradually gaining features of a dragon.

“Hmm” the man let out a small chuckle as he observed the features of a dragon appear on the lizard.

“You think you can stop my second stage intent with a simple spirit seal” he sneered, his voice dripping with a slight pity. Meng Lin's eyebrows raised and her eyes narrowed as she noticed the aura around the man increasing, causing an ice pillar to rise before her.

Crackle!

The fire around Meng Lin dwindled and she felt a chill run down her spine as ice began to form on her body, causing a rise in her emotions as she instantly jumped to the left.

As she jumped she saw a tsunami of ice headed where she last stood, submerging the golden lizard which didn’t even have the time to react.

Crack!!

Cracks began to form on the lizards body and in a few moments it shattered to pieces, leaving golden fragments on the floor.

Ice continued to cover the place where Meng Lin had stood, the golden shards of her shattered spirit seal scattering across it, glinting ominously in the cold light.

The man grew slightly weary and his eyes narrowed with a flicker of surprise as he noticed that Meng Lin had managed to escape the devastating ice wave.

Her figure was standing a few meters away, her eyes giving an eerie purple light that seemed cautious and calculating.

The aura around her pulsed with unrestrained energy, clearly showing signs of instability from her Gold Core.

"Your intent is impressive..." Meng Lin admitted, her voice steady yet filled with an overwhelming sense of will. "However, you underestimate the power of my simple spirit seal."

The air around her seemed to vibrate as she spoke, the ground beneath her feet starting to tremble. Her expression hardened, and she pointed her sword towards the man, her eyes reflecting the glimmers of her shattered spirit seal.

A strange energy began to surround her, a golden glow radiating from her body, illuminating the darkness. The shattered fragments of her spirit seal started to float in the air, slowly circling around her, resonating with her energy.

She raised her arm, the mark on it shining brightly. A sharp, high-pitched cry echoed through the area, as the shattered fragments of the spirit seal started to reform, merging together, and taking the shape of a mighty golden dragon.

Roar

The dragon, now fully formed, roared into the night, its voice shaking the very air around them. The ice around the man started to melt, unable to withstand the heat radiating from the golden dragon.

The man's gaze faltered, his eyes widening in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold. He quickly composed himself, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for her next move.

Meng Lin's voice echoed through the air, "You called it a simple spirit seal but let me correct you on that, this is an ancient spirit seal, even I don’t know much about it. Now let's see whose power will prevail."

With a swift motion, she pointed her sword towards the man, the golden dragon following her command. It launched itself towards him, a trail of blazing fire tailing behind it.

The man quickly raised his sword, the air around him growing colder, the ice around him rising to form a barrier.

Boom!

Instantly, the golden dragon easily broke through the barrier, its fiery body melting the ice upon contact and reaching the man in the next moment.