Emma Sullivan didn’t care at all about his messy thoughts; no matter who her opponent was, she simply drew her sword.

If one strike wasn’t enough, then she’d strike again!

Her simple and straightforward fighting style made everyone else in the battle involuntarily startled. The young man wielding a spear seized the moment of their distraction to thrust his weapon—the spear tip, carrying no spiritual power, pierced straight into someone’s chest.

“Third brother! Are you alright?”

That person touched the blood on his chest, his withered face twisting into an unpleasant grin. “He’s out of spiritual power, the spear tip carried no force. This little injury can’t hurt me. Let’s hurry and kill him, then go help big brother!”

That little girl really had some skills! Every sword strike made people’s hearts tremble, distracting him every now and then during the fight.

If not for that, how could that brat have had a chance to injure him?

Facing Emma Sullivan’s swordplay, the Golden Core cultivator faintly felt he couldn’t hold out much longer.

How many moves had it been now?

Why didn’t she use spiritual power? After fighting for so long, he still didn’t know what her spiritual root was.

But Emma Sullivan’s attacks grew fiercer and fiercer, leaving him no time to think. With one hand, he formed a seal and cast a fire-type spell, conjuring dozens of fireballs the size of a palm.

It seemed he’d only used a little spiritual power for this spell. What was he planning?

Emma Sullivan casually conjured a water barrier, blocking all the fireballs.

“Water spiritual root? Hahahaha, heaven is truly helping me!”

Emma Sullivan rolled her eyes dramatically. A fire spiritual root against a water spiritual root—how was that heaven’s help? Besides, she wasn’t a water spiritual root at all.

Very soon, Emma Sullivan understood why he was so pleased. She saw him form a seal with one hand, gathering fireballs, while the other hand used an earth-type spell, preparing to bury her water barrier with earth the moment she cast it!

Chapter 9: I Didn’t Save You

He was practically telling Emma Sullivan outright what he was going to do, certain that she couldn’t possibly have a second spiritual root.

With her cultivation speed, only a single spiritual root could achieve that.

That was what made him so resentful—why should these so-called single-root geniuses get to join great sects and easily obtain cultivation resources, while they, the rogue cultivators, had to risk their lives for scraps of opportunity?

Emma Sullivan didn’t know why his mentality had suddenly shifted, his spiritual power growing a bit chaotic, but she knew that when facing someone so desperate, she couldn’t let her guard down.

Especially since she was still two minor realms below him.

Emma Sullivan was confident, but not reckless.

“You’re very talented, but unfortunately, this is where it ends for you.”

He raised his hand above his head, a massive fireball surging toward her, but his attention was fixed on Emma Sullivan’s hands. The moment she raised her hand, an earth-type spell followed close behind, trying to interrupt her attempt to extinguish the fire.

But the girl remained calm and composed, still forming her seals.

The traces of a water-blue spell were clearly imprinted in the Golden Core cultivator’s eyes. He was secretly delighted, ignoring the earlier flicker of unease.

A girl who had just reached the Golden Core stage, with no real combat experience—she was still too naïve.

Emma Sullivan took in his expression completely. Since he wanted to counter water with earth, she’d just turn his own trick against him!

The water-type spell gently landed on the earth wall conjured by the Golden Core cultivator, vanishing like a stone sinking into the sea, without causing the slightest ripple.

Suddenly, a fierce gale arose, and countless ice blades shot out from within the earth wall, seemingly even sharper than the sword in the girl’s hand.

“You have an ice spiritual root?!” the Golden Core cultivator cried out in shock.

Emma Sullivan smiled sweetly. “That’s right. You look pretty surprised, don’t you?”

Of course he was surprised! The ice spiritual root was a mutated root, several times more powerful than water. No wonder she’d been so confident from the start.

The Golden Core cultivator cursed inwardly. If he’d known, he would’ve just let her pass! Now they were mortal enemies, with no hope of reconciliation.

He hurriedly raised a wall of fire, trying to melt the ice blades, only to find they were solid as stone.

All his spiritual power poured into the fire wall, but it only managed to melt the very tips of the ice blades.

“Earth shield!” Seeing that fire couldn’t melt the ice blades, he had no choice but to cast an earth-type spell, creating a thick earth shield.

The earth shield seemed to block the ice blades’ assault, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a flash of cold light pierced through the shield and stabbed into his heart.

“You…”

His spiritual power dissipated, and the earth shield instantly crumbled.

The girl swiftly drew her long sword, her tone light and airy. “Did you forget I’m also a sword cultivator?”

Unfortunately, he would never be able to answer her question again.

“Big brother!!”

A mournful cry came from behind, making Emma Sullivan’s ears ache. She almost forgot—the battle behind her wasn’t over yet.

“Kill her and avenge big brother!!” The youngest of the five, eyes bloodshot, glared at Emma Sullivan, wishing he could tear her to pieces on the spot.

Big brother had taken him in and raised him; to him, big brother was like a second father.

Now that big brother had died at the hands of the girl before him, he was determined to avenge him!

The other three, however, hesitated. She had killed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator without a scratch—clearly, she wasn’t someone they could handle.

Noticing their hesitation, he snorted coldly and spat, “Big brother treated you well, yet you don’t even have the courage to avenge him. Cowards!”