Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

```

Seizing the moment his clone was intercepted by Yan Yu, Lin Ning hurriedly withdrew to the girls' side and then began to catch her breath and heal her wounds.

"How are you?" Xie Ruoxi asked with concern.

"Can't beat him," Lin Ning shook her head.

The girls were all speechless. You just got beaten up like a dog, of course, we know you can't win! We're asking how your body is, can you continue to fight?

But with Ningning's competitive nature, even if she was like a candle flickering in the wind, she would stubbornly claim, "I can still fight," so actually, this question seemed rather meaningless...

Looking back at the field, Yan Yu and the clone were locked in a frenzied struggle. Clashes of their sword lights were fierce as thunder, quick as lightning; their figures swapping places almost to the point of leaving afterimages.

They moved from the east side of the arena to the west and then to the north, hardly staying in one place for half a second, making it an enormous challenge for the girls to provide long-range support, let alone aim properly.

"The pace is too fast," Chen Lingyun said softly, "This won't do."

When it came to strength, the clone was definitely stronger than the original.

The advantage for the original side lay in their numbers, with five against one. They needed to use their numerical superiority and tactical coordination to negate the gap in strength between the original and the clone. This was the correct approach to clear the challenge.

However, a chronic issue for the Zhenhai Team was that when Yan Yu fought with all his might, the pace was too fast, and the rest of the team couldn't keep up with his speed.

Supporting fire? Assists? By the time you're ready to cooperate with his move, he's already carried out his second and third strikes. It would be a miracle if you could coordinate well under such circumstances.

This issue wasn't fatal in ordinary circumstances since Yan Yu could simply fight solo and crush the enemy. But now, facing a clone stronger than the original, he couldn't manage alone, and the others couldn't sync with him. In the end, Yan Yu would be the first to be exhausted by the ordeal, then the clone would come and pick off the remaining girls, one by one.

"Just give me half a second to pin the clone down, and I'll blast him with my Thunder Method!" Xie Ruoxi exclaimed frantically.

"Even without the Thunder Method, wouldn't my White Bone Heart-locking Hairpin do the trick?" Zhao Yuanzhen said irritably, "The problem is the clone's speed; how do we pin him down!"

As everyone was at a loss, they heard the Swordsman say:

"Hanging around with these bugs, you still think about saving Lu Country, isn't that a bit of a pipe dream?"

"Even the mightiest experts have all grown from novices." Yan Yu replied.

"You know it in your heart," the Swordsman said, "They don't have the chance to experience the hardships you've endured, so it's impossible for them to reach your level."

"I beg to differ," Yan Yu said.

"As of now, Lin Ning can't last five seconds against me," the Swordsman scoffed, "No matter how much extra training you give them, it cannot replace actual life-and-death combat. Compared to those formidable Transcendents from abroad who emerged from piles of corpses and seas of blood, your so-called team training is nothing but child's play."

Yan Yu remained silent.
Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

"The so-called 'you're not worthy', is just your subconscious defense mechanism," the Swordsman pointed out mercilessly, "Because deep down you're afraid. You fear that one day they'll be killed on the battlefield, and all the emotions you've invested in them will turn into a devastating blow to you."

"That's enough," Yan Yu finally spoke, "No one is going to die this time."

"How long will you keep lying to yourself?" The Swordsman flexed his fingers to form a Sword technique, finally penetrating the defenses of Huang Tingjian and striking Yan Yu's left shoulder, "Only those who have truly lost something precious know the fear of losing it again. But if you've never had it, there's nothing to lose.

Telling them 'you're not worthy' isn't an insult, it's the blunt truth—because you're meant to walk the path of the lone and disastrous star."

The sword light didn't continue to cut downwards, instead halting as it sliced his arm, because Yan Yu had already activated the Curved Curse, his hands grasping the sword blade tightly and resisting it from above.

"Damn it, I can't take this anymore!" Zhao Yuanzhen stood up, "Ling Yun, keep thinking of something. I'm going in!"

She charged towards the Swordsman with Shifting Technique and threw the White Bone Heart-locking Hairpin with a movement of her hand.

This magic weapon honed in automatically, impossible to dodge, only defendable by something like a Flying Sword. Therefore, the Swordsman formed a Sword technique, and the sword light instantly withdrew from Yan Yu's shoulder wound, pulling with it a gush of blood like a fountain.

The White Bone Heart-locking Hairpin was blocked by the sword light, and Zhao Yuanzhen was now in front of Yan Yu, asking softly, "Are you okay?"

"To find a flaw in my defense," Yan Yu pressed on the acupoint near the wound, injecting True Yuan to stem the bleeding, and lamented, "It seems, in this world, only my clone could achieve that."

"What's the point of caring about that now?" Zhao Yuanzhen said anxiously, shaking out Silver Pellets from her sleeve, transforming them into the shape of puppet Ami, eyes fixed on the opponent.

The Swordsman didn't rush to attack but spoke in an eerie tone:

"Look, she's so anxious and caring about you; it's clear her feelings for you have taken deep root. Yet as soon as she reveals any closeness to you, you hurry to push her away. Isn't it because you fear her becoming your concern?"

Caught off guard by those words, Zhao Yuanzhen was about to retort when she heard Yan Yu from behind her say:

"You're wrong,"

"In what way?"

"I don't fear her becoming a concern," Yan Yu stood up, his voice calm, "Because she already is."

```

Zhao Yuanzhen froze for a moment, then suddenly felt a surging passion, as if his entire body was filled with endless strength.

"I admit what you just said makes some sense," Yan Yu continued in a deep voice, "I've always been subconsciously looking down on them, trying to carry the whole team on my own, blocking the entire storm by myself, but as a result, I've prevented them from growing."

"In the end, some setbacks are unavoidable. The suffering that needs to be endured, must be endured; the blood that needs to be shed, must be shed. Even if they can't win now, they need to go and try for themselves, even if they're defeated miserably, as long as they don't die, there will always be a day when they can win."

"Good, good," the Swordsman finally showed a smile, this time with much more sincerity, "since the creation of the Mysterious Realm, trial-takers who have revealed flaws in their hearts are plenty. Some refuse to admit it, some lose their guard and curse wildly, others remain silent.

But you are the first one willing to face the flaws in your heart, understand the intricacies, openly acknowledge the problems, and plan to make changes."

"Come on, let's complete the last step of the process."

"Defeat me."

"Okay." Yan Yu didn't rush to make a move, but turned to say, "Ling Yun, I'm taking over command. No problems, right?"

"No problem," Chen Lingyun nodded in agreement.

"Good," Yan Yu asked further, "How about Ningning?"

"Of course I can fight!" Lin Ning called out the sword technique loudly in response.

"Then let's go," Yan Yu declared.

Both of them leapt forward simultaneously, wrapped in the light of their swords, and bravely charged at the replica!

"Well met!" The Swordsman, facing the twin swords' pincer attack, didn't advance but retreated, controlling the sword light to intercept them.

"I'll take care." Faced with the robust sword light coming at him, Yan Yu quickly communicated with Lin Ning, while he used his Sword Control to intercept, "You go for the beheading."

Lin Ning was instantly startled by his words. Because if they were to follow past tactical habits, she should be the one holding off the opponent's Flying Sword, letting the more powerful captain go decapitate the enemy.

But I'm not afraid either!

As Yan Yu and the opposing sword light clashed, she took the opportunity to steer her Green Bamboo Sword light towards the replica, just as the Swordsman laughed, "Well met! Little Ningning, what I like most about you is your unreserved, straightforward manner of charging in with your sword!"

Lin Ning was startled again. What, the captain likes me?

In that brief moment of hesitation, the replica's sword light broke free from the clash with Yan Yu, turned around, and retreated back to the Swordsman's side to prepare its defense—filling Lin Ning with regret.

I could have killed him just now while his Flying Sword hadn't returned!

"Don't get distracted!" Yan Yu came chasing with his sword, and said through voice transmission.

"He said you like me!" Lin Ning complained.

I'm not one to get easily distracted. It's mainly his statement that's shocking.

"Right." Yan Yu continued transmitting, "But if you mess up again, I won't like you anymore."

"I won't mess up!" Lin Ning instinctively retorted, but then thought it over and realized that her response seemed to carry the implication of not allowing him "not to like her"...

Forget it, just kill to finish this!

She once again rallied her sword light and fiercely charged at the opponent. She saw the Swordsman retreat and dodge Xie Ruoxi's godly Thunder Method bombardment, while simultaneously extending the sword light all around to force Chen Lingyun's invisible five ghosts back, then suddenly crossed it in front of his chest, blocking Zhao Yuanzhen's White Bone Heart-locking Hairpin sneak attack.

Although the numerous attacks did not yield results, they ultimately slowed down the opponent's mobile steps, allowing Yan Yu and Lin Ning to simultaneously reach his front.

"I'll bind the Flying Sword, you kill him," Yan Yu transmitted, "Don't get distracted this time."

"I've already said I won't!" Lin Ning protested.

"Really won't you?" The Swordsman laughed, "Then what was that just now?"

Lin Ning gritted her teeth without answering, resolutely pressing forward, silently thinking:

I don't care what you say, I want to hear him say it personally!

Just as the opponent seemed to have no move left, Lin Ning was about to strike with a dazzling sword thrust to pierce through the chest, when suddenly, a figure flashed before her, and someone appeared.

Sister Zhao?

But in that moment of distraction, the girl resembling Zhao Yuanzhen flicked out blades from both of her wrists, delivering a swift and sharp cross slash that arrested Lin Ning's Green Bamboo Sword light.