Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Amidst the half sealed sphere, Soft Peach remained still. Her powers were still being suppressed.

Surprisingly, there was a hint of ridicule in the depths of her cold eyes. It was obvious that she did not think that the Ruler was a threat to her. Kill her? It did not matter whether Soft Peach was bold enough. Even if she was courageous, her only option was to commit suicide!

"Hey! I have had enough of your staring. If not for the vow that I, this old lady, made in the past, I would have killed you in a single blow!" Murderous intent wafted off of the Ruler and the terrifying aura that came out of his own body made Qin Yu's heart clench.

The only flaw in her words was her use of 'old lady'. It spoiled the image of an all-powerful Ruler.

The ridicule in the eyes of the lady sealed in the sphere grew even worse. It was easy to guess what she was thinking. Empty words…why didn't the Ruler just kill her now?

She knew exactly how powerful the Ruler was but she dared to act so outrageously. Either she was really bold or she was not afraid of death…yet, Qin Yu knew that Soft Peach was not afraid of death after she tricked Qin Yu with the Ruler's avatar. She must have other plans!

The Ruler's avatar was obviously provoking her.

"You are purposely trying to make me angry? You really know me well. I can't stand this." The Ruler gritted her teeth. Just when Qin Yu was about to step in and hold her back, she suddenly snickered, "This time, I am not going to fall for your tricks!

"Soft Peach, don't ask me how I know your name. It is no secret as long as I know of it. As such, listen very carefully. Because I am angry, I am going to raise the stakes. If you kill her, I will forgive you of your crimes and I will even make it up to you. I might even give you the power left in the Ruler's avatar after you kill her!"

Within the sealed space, Soft Peach made her choice, but she needed to show it. Her cold eyes suddenly darkened and burned with fury.

She was going to attack!

Qin Yu frowned and a look of helplessness crossed his face. This was the Ruler's decision; he had no right to interfere.

Soft Peach was strong and she had strange techniques. However, her opponent was the powerful avatar of a Ruler.

This avatar had killed six True Saints easily. Among them was Close Saint, another really powerful Saint.

Her chances of winning were slim.

It was almost like trying to break a rock with an egg.

The Ruler clapped her hands joyfully and laughed, "Very good, you made a wise decision."

However, things did not proceed as she wanted. As Soft Peach tried to get rid of the Ruler's avatar, she naturally resisted fiercely. Soft Peach's body was the battleground and the two fought for control.

The most obvious display of the battle was the multitude of cracks that started to form on the surface of her body.

She shook violently and her blood was in turmoil. The coldness and killing intent in Soft Peach's eyes showed that the Ruler's avatar was still in control of her body.

Obviously, she had the upper hand in this battle.

As her flesh tore apart, droplets of blood seeped out from her wounds. In an instant, her entire body was soaked in blood.

This was only the beginning and more blood continued to pour from her. At the same time, because the Ruler was constraining her, her blood could not flow out and it was trapped within her body.

As time went by, more blood continued to amass. Slowly, a bloody cocoon was formed with Soft Peach in the middle.

It was very hard to imagine how much blood she had in her small frame. However, as more time passed, the outpouring of blood slowed down.

Her face was incredibly pale and her slender fingers even started to look translucent. Upon a closer look, the inner linings of her blood vessels could be made out.

With dry lips and a lifeless look in her eyes, Soft Peach's complexion turned ghastly. She was a wilted flower that was being dried out and left in the cold.

Despite that, the Ruler's avatar was still in control of her body. This could be seen from the look in her eyes.

Soft Peach lost almost all the blood in her body. Suddenly, the numerous wounds that lined her started to disappear.

This started from some small surface scratches.

Qin Yu's heart jumped. This was only his guess, but something told him that Soft Peach had been defeated.

In the end she chose to give it a go, but she was unable to change the outcome.

Although this was expected, Qin Yu could not help frowning as he witnessed this scene. His expression was as dark as the night sky.

The reason for his reaction had been explained many times before. He did not wish for Soft Peach to die, at least not for now. Qin Yu turned to look at the Ruler. Evidently, this mysterious and powerful woman was the only one who could change things.

You can't abandon what you started right? Otherwise, how can you be worthy of being called a Ruler!

"Don't look at me like that. Qin Yu, I realized that you don't learn the good things but you learn some detestable things very quickly. I can't believe you know how to manipulate with your eyes! This is very lowly off you. This old lady has seen many things. If I could be manipulated so easily, I would have died many times before. How could I still have survived to this day?" She chuckled heartily to herself. The Ruler saw through his intentions and she was subtly telling him that she would not fall for his tricks.

In the next second, she suddenly snapped, "I thought you were a smart girl. How can you be this stupid? It is your body, your body, your body…I repeated this key thing thrice. Don't ask me why, I don't know myself!

"Your body…this is the fourth time. Do you understand? You are its owner, the real master of your body. You control it and manipulate it!"

Qin Yu's lips twitched. The Ruler changed so fast. Just a second ago, she was proudly boasting about her knowledge and how she would not fall for his tricks.

However, he quickly realized how much he underestimated her fickle-mindedness. She could eat her words without a second thought and she could even stoop lower than that.

"Let me remind you again! The Ruler's avatar is very strong and your unique body is also powerful. However, she is not a real Ruler and she does not have a real body she can rely on. So her powers are only an illusion and she has no real roots. If you concentrate hard enough, you can find a loophole!"

Taking in another deep breath, the Ruler gritted her teeth, "I even revealed this to you. If you really can't kill her, I will get angry! I am warning you, I am really scary when I get angry. I will do anything!"

She made a threat after she gave her warnings. After being knowingly provoked twice, the Ruler was truly angry.

This was especially so since she obviously knew that she was going to fall into a trap. Yet, she voluntarily jumped in.

Hehe, this feeling was not easy for anyone to take!

Remember this. The Ruler could not stand being provoked. This might be a useful point in the future.

Qin Yu's eyes quivered nervously as he watched on. After a long while of Soft Peach's wounds healing, everything suddenly stopped.

The wounds stopped disappearing but they did not heal. It was obvious that the battle had reached a stalemate.

Qin Yu's eyes brightened as he thought about what the Ruler said previously. She did not have roots!

The weakness of the avatar was clear cut. Since she did not have an origin source of energy, she would continuously deplete herself.

This was also why she tried to construct a body after she killed the six True Saints. Dragging the battle on did not seem to make any sense. However, for every second Soft Peach hung on, the greater her chances of victory.

Finally, surprise and anger crossed the cold eyes of the Ruler's avatar. She was filled with disbelief.

Honestly, her disbelief was granted. The Ruler was right. However, her words and hints alone were not enough to force the Ruler's avatar into such a tight spot.

Soft Peach was hiding something!

Qin Yu had some guesses about this. When he peered into Soft Peach's memories, he saw how she chased the Half-King from the Mysterious Clan away with a single finger.

What he witnessed now was just a confirmation of his previous thoughts.

"Hahaha, good job. I knew it, as a…how can you be weak?" The Ruler smiled smugly and a look of pure satisfaction crossed her face, "Brace yourself and defeat her completely. Then you will obtain the promised rewards from me!"

Qin Yu raised his hand and rubbed his forehead as a look of helplessness crossed his eyes. He was conflicted.

When the Ruler's avatar wanted to kill Soft Peach, he had been worried. But now when Soft Peach had the upper hand, he felt nervous too.

There was a simple reason for this. Soft Peach had a lot to gain from defeating the Ruler's avatar. She was already strong and she would become even stronger after this. Of course, this was not good news for Qin Yu as it threatened Peachy's life.

As such, he wondered whether he ought to hope for Soft Peach to die or survive. He rubbed his forehead more aggressively and marks started to form.

The Ruler suddenly glanced at him with her bright eyes. It made Qin Yu feel as though she had read his thoughts.

His heart jumped and he quickly regained his composure as he returned her glance.

Her lips curled and she smiled. Yet, her smile made Qin Yu uneasy. She reiterated, "I told you. Nothing in this world can be hidden from me as long as I try."

As she said this, she pointed to her head. She seemed to be telling him that she knew what he was thinking.

She really knew!

He instinctively grew anxious. How strong was she?

How can she know everything in this world?

It was easy for her to say that but he felt an overwhelming sense of horror as he carefully thought about it. Since she revealed her ways so easily, she probably did not have ill intentions towards him. Suppressing the uneasiness in his heart, he bowed, "Please guide me, Senior!"

"Why should I?"

Was she trying to bargain with him?

Qin Yu knew that there was no free meal in this world. She had helped him numerous times before and Qin Yu had long since been prepared to repay her.

As such, he continued to bow respectfully, "If there is anything Senior would like me to do, I will do my best!"

Her lips curled up and that familiar smile that signified her desire for vengeance appeared.

Qin Yu's lips twitched and he made another mental note of her. She held grudges! Furthermore, she had no patience and she liked to resolve grudges as they came.

"You are smart!" She snapped her fingers and grinned, "I can help you with this small issue, but you have to go somewhere and get something for me. I have to make some preparations before I can tell you the details."

Whatever she intended for him to do must be dangerous and Qin Yu had a feeling that it would be a difficult task to accomplish.

As he glanced at her bright face, Qin Yu had a moment of hesitation and he gave up on bargaining with her. This was a typical seller's market and Qin Yu had no choice but to accept her terms.

He just hoped that the Ruler would not send him on a suicide mission.

"Don't worry, I have made a huge investment in you and I won't let you die so easily. Even if you die, that will not be until…cough. Anyway, it should not be too difficult; you will be able to handle it!"

Qin Yu's expression darkened and he swallowed his words. Dear Ruler, even if that is what you really think, can you please hold back a little?

He sighed and bowed, "I will follow your instructions!" He looked at her. The terms had been laid out and it was time for her to take action.

The Ruler lifted her finger and a crackling sound formed as the half-sealed sphere closed up. Very soon, the sphere was made whole and the space inside it was isolated from the outside world.

With that, the seal was completed.

Qin Yu's mouth curled, he did not expect this.

Yet, the Ruler clapped her hands and smiled, "I promised to spare her life but I also gave her what she deserved. I did not break my promise."

A scam!

This was the third impression Qin Yu had of her. As he expected, women could not be trusted. This was especially so for pretty women.

However, he had to admit that she fulfilled his wishes. Soft Peach was alive. Although she grew stronger, it would not be easy for her to leave the Ruler's seal.

Even if she could escape, she would need some time. There should be enough time for Qin Yu to make preparations before she broke through.

The only thing that made him hesitant was this: How did the Ruler know that Soft Peach would emerge victorious? After all, nothing had been settled yet.

The Ruler glanced at him and casually said, "I did that because I am confident. You don't have to understand it."

There was a hidden meaning in her words. He was too weak now. Even if she explained, he would not understand.