138 - I’m Really Not an NPC

The eyes of the gathered demons were fixated on the battle, countless exchanges flashing by in the blink of an eye. Despite Baihui's seemingly endless skill repertoire, their hearts grew increasingly uneasy. "Wasn't Baihui supposed to be unbeatable? Why do I have a bad feeling about this? I've wagered all my savings!" "Yueling remains as composed as ever, come on, Baihui!" "Losing money is one thing, but losing face is another." Amidst their discussion, a thud suddenly rang out. Baihui stumbled back from the battlefield, looking somewhat disheveled. Gazing at the calm girl standing with sword in hand, he gritted his teeth fiercely and prepared to charge again. Suddenly, a calm yet commanding voice interrupted, "Stop." Baihui froze, momentarily bewildered as he turned slightly. Shifang, with an icy expression, repeated, "I said, stop." Baihui was taken aback, urgency flashing in his eyes as he loudly protested, "My lord Shifang, I've nearly uncovered all of Yueling’s secrets. Allow me a bit more time, and I will force her to reveal every card she holds!" The gathered demons, reminded of their wager on "whether Baihui can defeat Yueling," hastily echoed their support, "Yes, yes, Lord Shifang, let Baihui fight one more time! We must see that human girl perish here and now!" As the demons attempted to persuade Shifang, a hint of scorn flickered across his usually indifferent expression. "Hmph!" With a disdainful look, Shifang sneered, "None of you noticed that from the beginning, she has only been using basic sword techniques?" His words hit like a thunderbolt! The demons' faces changed dramatically, unable to contain their shocked exclamations, "What!" "Basic sword techniques? That's impossible!" "Such exquisite swordsmanship cannot possibly be just basic techniques!" They couldn't believe it as they replayed the fight. Yet as time passed, their faces grew paler, and their sturdy forms began to tremble. "How can this be?" "A human girl has reached such a profound level in swordsmanship. What future lies ahead for our demon clan?" "It seems only Lord Shifang can defeat her now. Let us give up, Baihui." "Give up!" … All of Baihui’s arrogance vanished, leaving him lost as he pondered his path forward. He ranked first in Shifang’s list and was considered a once-in-a-millennium genius of the demon clan. How could he be toyed with by a mere human girl? "No, I don’t believe it!" Baihui raised his head abruptly, a murderous glare fixed on Yueling. A strange blue light quietly blossomed at his brow, and an overwhelming, terrifying aura began to escalate. The air crackled with an explosive sound as his aura materialized. All the demons stared at him in horror, exclaiming, "Baihui's gone mad, burning his demon core? This could be a death sentence!" "No, we can’t let our demon warriors lose; Baihui, this is a fight to the death!" "Come on, Baihui, kill her!" … After casting a disinterested glance at Baihui, Shifang ignored him, turning his gaze to the distant sky in the left foreground. There, a beautiful lunar white streak blazed across the blue sky, shooting straight towards Yueling. "A sword spirit?" Shifang murmured, his eyes glinting. He gently caressed his silent, azure long sword, musing, "This journey has indeed proven rewarding." "Whoosh!" The lunar white streak finally caught the demons' attention, resembling a comet dragging its tail, heading straight for the stationary Yueling. "What is that? A falling star?" "Why isn't she dodging? Did she summon it?" … Yueling turned her wrist, sheathing her sword immediately. The streak of lunar light, as though possessing a mind of its own, landed perfectly in her pale, delicate right hand. [Warning! BOSS Yueling has entered the second phase. Please evacuate immediately!] [Warning!…] [Warning!…] Three consecutive system warnings froze the demons in shock, the alarming red alerts tightening their chests. This boss transitioned to a higher stage? Only top elite bosses should exhibit such transformations, right? Could it be that she… “Oh no!” The demons’ faces blanched with realization, as Baihui, now at the peak of his escalation, charged ferociously towards Yueling. "Watch out! The boss moved to the second phase!" "Can Baihui handle this?" Everyone couldn’t help but worry. [Ding~ Set attribute triggered: Spirit recovery +50%] Seeing the status update on her system panel, Yueling nodded slightly. Now, she could afford to be less frugal with her spiritual power. Looking up at Baihui, his entire being radiated a terrifying blood-red aura, reminiscent of a demon from the abyss. The boundless spiritual energy circulated around him, so abundant it cascaded uncontrollably into the air. Leaking aura? Yueling mused inwardly. With arrogance in his gaze, Baihui praised, "Yueling, to force me this far, you can die without regret!" "Heh." Yueling lightly gripped the Chuxue Sword, saying calmly, "Well then, let's end this." [Sword Technique: Dream Rebirth!] In Baihui’s stunned stare, four white silhouettes suddenly appeared around him, faintly recognizable as resembling Yueling. "Clones?" Baihui squinted, his purple-glowing sword emanating a blood-red light, like a bloody skull. Endless spiritual energy surged into his blade, and the awe-inspiring aura drew smiles from the demons watching, confident in their advantage. Baihui chuckled lightly, "Four clones? I shall slay them all!" Yet in that moment, the four white shades erupted with an overwhelming killing intent, a crushing pressure enveloping Baihui completely. "What!" Baihui’s eyes widened. This oppressive force, heavy beyond resistance, he had only ever encountered in Lord Shifang. Yueling, a mere human girl, how could she wield such power? "You!" Baihui exclaimed in terror. In an instant, four beams of sword light seemed to tear through the void, wielding an unstoppable sharpness as they descended in unison. "Boom!" Blinding white light devoured Baihui in a wink; his blood-red aura couldn’t even mount a defense before being utterly obliterated. The demon crowd stood dumbfounded, minds blank. "Baihui—" "He’s finished..." "Burning his demon core, and yet slain in a single strike?" "So, was Yueling toying with us all along, as Shifang claimed?" "Hahaha…" A demon laughed in self-mockery, shaking his head, "Ridiculous, we’re truly ridiculous! Hahaha." "What do we do now? Wait for Lord Shifang to straighten her out?" "No, we can’t just let Shifang handle this disgrace. What face does the demon player clan have then?" "Right, she entered the second phase, meaning she must have suffered some critical blow." "Don’t fear her; the mission was issued because it’s achievable. Let’s all attack together!" "Fear nothing, let’s fight to the end!" The demonic fury within them ignited, eyes fixed fiercely on Yueling. Like a dam burst, thousands of death-defying demon warriors charged at her en masse.