Under the vast sky of the Ming Realm, two figures chased one another, one leading and one following. The one in the lead was a young girl, barely past childhood, possessing fiery red wings and hair that shone with dazzling intensity. Following closely behind was a black-haired youth, his face bruised and battered, looking rather disheveled.

These two were, of course, Lin Luo and Shana.

Lin Luo had been pursuing her for a full hour. The reason he dared to stick close behind Shana was twofold: it was necessary, and it was due to Shana's demeanor. Given her current strength, which far surpassed his own, if she truly intended to escape, he would never catch her. Yet, the fact that he had been able to follow her for an hour indicated she clearly wasn't using her full power. Furthermore, despite having beaten him soundly moments before, her strikes had been measured; she had only inflicted superficial injuries. Considering both points, the reason Shana was furious was simply due to her tsundere nature acting up.

In any case, there were no reckless carriages tearing through the Ming Realm, and Shana's constitution wasn't the sort that a carriage could kill her with. A tragic incident where a heroine was killed over a mere breakfast, as seen in a certain boundary, would not occur here. Thus, he had every reason to continue the chase.

However, figuring out how to calm Shana down was proving to be quite the challenge.

"Shana, what are you running from?" Lin Luo couldn't help but shout out.

Shana turned back, "I told you not to follow me! I won't like you!" With that, she instantly increased her speed once more.

"Fine," Lin Luo conceded, but he didn't stop. Instead, he also ramped up his speed. "It doesn't matter if you don't like me right now; feelings can be cultivated slowly. But before that, can we sign the contract? You need to become a Magical Armament Girl!"

"Shut up! Shine!" Shana grit her teeth, spinning around and swinging the Chijin (Crimson Blade) in her hand. A surging torrent of flames instantly materialized into a fire dragon, pouncing toward Lin Luo.

"Why does everyone like using dragons? Mokona used a water dragon, Kuroiwa used an earth dragon, and now you’re using a fire dragon. Dragons are such cliché creatures now; they aren't fashionable anymore." Lin Luo drew the Pokong Zhi Ren (Void-Slicing Blade) and lightly slashed forward. The fire dragon Shana sent suddenly shattered like glass.

Against Shana, given Lin Luo's current strength, simply using the Wuyu Zhi Ren (Mist Rain Blade) was insufficient. He had to use the Pokong Zhi Ren, which possessed the ability to slice through space. Of course, this was only because Shana wasn't using her full power either.

"Since you think dragons are too cliché, try this next move!" Shana’s expression sharpened, and she swung her blade again. A dozen fire snakes shot out like lightning bolts, hissing through the air.

Miles and miles away, Long Wanxuan sneezed twice in succession. Does that guy think he can challenge the Martial Emperor like me?

Facing the assault of the dozen fire snakes, Lin Luo dared not be careless. Muttering under his breath, the Pokong Zhi Ren swept out in a large circle, releasing the Flame of Destruction, which extinguished all the fire snakes in the next instant.

"Oh, not bad. Then let's have a proper fight!" Shana chuckled lightly. She abruptly reversed her trajectory, and a sharp blade light, carrying scorching flames, angled in toward Lin Luo’s cheek.

Lin Luo instinctively defended. Clang! The Pokong Zhi Ren collided with the Zhaodian Zhena (Throne Hall Guard), erupting in intense sparks that caused the space around them to tremble violently.

"What's the meaning of this? Fighting me at this level?" Lin Luo frowned. Even from this single exchange, he could sense that Shana was suppressing her actual power to match his current rank. "If you wanted to defeat me or teach me a lesson, wouldn't it have been better to use your full strength from the start?"

"...Hmph, that wouldn't serve the purpose," Shana retorted with a delicate huff, bringing the Zhaodian Zhena down upon his head.

Lin Luo's heart stirred, uncertain what scheme Shana was hatching, but he had no leisure to guess. Facing Shana's attack, he had to meet it with his full defensive capability. As he blocked her strike, almost simultaneously, an afterimage of him appeared behind Shana, his sword wind howling.

"Hmm?" Shana recognized this—it was Lin Luo's Phantom Ghost Step, a time-delay clone created using the Rule of Creation. Although the clone lacked combat power, its first strike was equal to the main body's, making it extremely difficult to deal with. Now that her power was equal to Lin Luo's, she naturally dared not be careless. She flapped her Wings of Fire and shot away in an instant. However, halfway through her evasion, a warning sounded behind her—a second clone!

"Fighting me at this level will put a lot of pressure on you," Lin Luo's main body also advanced toward Shana.

"...Hmph!" Shana ignored Lin Luo's verbal provocation, using the Zhaodian Zhena to block the clone’s attack. At the same time, she pointed her left hand forward. "Flying Flame!" Instantly, a directional wave of destructive flame shot toward Lin Luo.

Although Shana had suppressed her strength to below the Earth Rank, she was fundamentally a powerhouse above the Earth Rank. The skills she comprehended were not sealed; only their intensity hadn't reached the Earth Rank level. Even so, this was enough to challenge a novice Earth Rank expert. This flame wave, though seemingly small, carried terrifying destructive power.

On the other hand, Lin Luo also possessed both the Rules of Creation and Destruction. Even without the awareness of the Heaven Rank, his combat strength was comparable to an Earth Rank expert.

Flicking his fingers, a black lotus burst forth before him, neutralizing the red flame's attack. Instant Movement activated, and the two figures suddenly appeared behind Shana, flanking her with one clone and the main body.

Shana couldn't use Instant Movement, but the speed derived from fusing her Jizai Fa (Freedom Method) with physical techniques was in no way inferior. Before Lin Luo's attack landed, she evaded like lightning. A giant, burning eye suddenly appeared above her.

"Judgment! Now your clones are sealed!" Shana was brimming with confidence. With the help of that giant eye, she could clearly distinguish between the clone and the main body.

"Indeed, but the Phantom Ghost Step is just an unremarkable skill. I have more abilities than just that," Lin Luo also smiled confidently. Although he didn't know why Shana wanted to fight him, and in such a peculiar manner, since the fight had begun, there was no need to hold back.

As he spoke, Lin Luo closed his eyes. At that very moment, the surrounding energy suddenly became chaotic. The energy of the wind, the energy of fire, the energy of water in the air, and the energy of all matter began to move irregularly almost simultaneously, thoroughly disrupting the entire sky.

"This is..." Such a sight made even Shana pause in shock, instinctively adopting a defensive posture.

"The best defense is attack. Didn't you know that?" Lin Luo had been waiting for this moment. He charged out with his eyes closed, unleashing a sword swing. The Pokong Zhi Ren, carrying the might of destruction, shot toward her like an electric bolt.

Given Shana's abilities and personality, continuous aggression was her most suitable battle style. Once she entered a defensive state, she was already a step weaker in momentum. But that was the old Shana!

Lin Luo making the fatal mistake of placing Shana in her former position was costly. Just as his blade struck, a giant palm of flame descended from the sky. The destructive power interwoven within it was actually superior to his own, even shattering the restraint of his Heart Eye awareness!

"This is True Crimson?!" Lin Luo’s expression tightened. He dared not meet it head-on and quickly used Instant Movement to evade.

"It's a huge mistake to think you are invincible at this level. Let me correct your self-righteous personality!" Seizing the opportunity, Shana suddenly launched a fierce assault. The Zhaodian Zhena slashed forward, sending a massive pillar of fire straight at Lin Luo—it was Judgement!

"Correct my personality? Is that why you wanted to fight me!" Lin Luo suddenly recalled what Shana had said when she emerged from seclusion. His empty hand swept forward, manifesting white mist, barely blocking the Red Lotus fire pillar.

"Lately, I’ve been contemplating whether true happiness requires sacrifice." Shana shot forward like lightning. The Zhaodian Zhena cut through Lin Luo's defensive net, and the destructive Red Lotus Fire burned away his retreat path. She brought the blade down, and blood light erupted. "The answer is no!" Lin Luo used the Rule of Creation to carve a new path and retreated to a safe distance, clutching his shoulder wound as he looked at Shana, a new seriousness in his eyes. "I see. It wasn't an illusion today; you truly have grown."

"Hearing you say that doesn't make me happy at all," Shana snorted and charged again. The instant their weapons met, she rapidly moved behind Lin Luo, the blade infused with destructive red flames chopping straight down.

Lin Luo condensed the Rule of Creation into his left hand, clamping down on the scorching blade edge. "I am sincerely complimenting you, because I also believe true happiness requires no sacrifice."

"If that’s the case..." Shana grit her teeth and launched a flying kick into Lin Luo's chest. Although the destructive power was blocked, the defensive structure created by the Rule of Creation was shattered, and the residual impact force sent Lin Luo flying backward. Then, Shana raised the Zhaodian Zhena high above her head. Towering red flames gathered on the blade, scorching half the sky red. With incomparable determination, she brought the strike down upon Lin Luo.

"Why are your words different from your actions?!"

"That's because..." Lin Luo assumed the exact same posture as her. Dark, seemingly all-consuming Destruction Black Flames burned fiercely, forming a stark contrast to the red flames opposite him. When their power reached its peak, they brought their blades down simultaneously.

"Driven to desperation!" BOOM!

The two flames, both possessing destructive power, collided, eroding and strangling each other. Even the surrounding space was shattered into pieces, emitting a trembling hum. After a brief stalemate, the red flames ultimately seemed to gain the upper hand, completely dispersing the black flames and shooting forward, swallowing Lin Luo who stood nearby.

As the rain-like red flames scattered, Lin Luo slumped onto the ground. Although the protection of the Rule of Creation prevented him from suffering serious injury, his tattered clothing made him appear utterly battered.

Amidst the flickering red light, Shana stood before him, the sharp blade of her sword pointing directly at his face.

"You lost."

Lin Luo managed a wry smile. "That’s only natural, because I was on your side from the very beginning. It’s like a debate where both sides possess similar strength and identical viewpoints. No matter how much the Pro side argues against themselves against their will, how can they possibly defeat the side that is inherently correct? That is precisely Lin Luo's situation."