### Chapter 7: The Witch’s Wrath
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, a sleek black figure darted over the treetops, diving straight towards a merchant team caught in a bit of a chaotic snowfall.
Gongsun Ding was hot on her heels, yelling, “Demoness, what are you up to?”
Lin Nan, of course, wouldn’t respond.
What was she up to? Well, naturally, she wanted more people to see her!
As the duo ventured out of the woods, the merchant livestreamer, who had been quietly broadcasting, quickly spun around to follow them.
The livestream chat erupted in complaints.
“Hey, streamer, move your feet a little faster! At this rate, we’re trapped between a rock and a hard place—should we focus on you or on the action?”
“Hurry, hurry! If the Cold Moon Witch slips out of sight, I’m going to collapse! You better be responsible for this!”
“Now this is what true experts do! Such a peak showdown! It’s like watching a blockbuster fantasy movie, completely exhilarating! Unlike previous streamers who might as well be playing house with monsters—zero entertainment value!”
“Haha, who’s complaining? I’ll bet 100 bucks on Thousand Bird City winning!”
“What the heck for?”
“Can’t you see? Ever since that guy Gongsun Ding entered the fray, the Cold Moon Witch has been dodging like crazy! She hasn’t even struck back! I think there’s a level gap here. Otherwise, with her usual temper, she would’ve one-shot him by now.”
The players suddenly recalled the moment the Cold Moon Witch obliterated a crossbowman. Indeed, she was usually merciless, but this time, she was on the defensive, having not launched a single attack since the brawl began.
“What a bummer! The Cold Moon Witch can’t get knocked out so soon, right? I was hoping to keep fangirling! But for the sake of this bet, I’m putting down 500 bucks on Gongsun Ding! Haha!”
“You lot are just trash-talking! All claiming you want to see the Cold Moon Witch, but where is your integrity now? I’m betting 100 bucks! On Gongsun Ding, hee hee!”
“I’m out!” Everyone fell over in laughter.
Most players were seasoned veterans from “Heavenly Domination,” and their judgment of the situation was quite precise.
So, aside from a few true fans of the Cold Moon Witch, the majority of players wisely placed their bets on Gongsun Ding.
After all, aside from him, there was also a crane that hadn’t joined the fight yet. If that big bird jumped in, the Cold Moon Witch would likely vanish from “The Way of Inquiry” before anyone could say “derailed.”
Some players began recording, even crafting the title in advance: “The Tragic Fall of the Cold Moon Witch.”
In their eyes, this was probably the last value of this newly emerged hidden boss.
Lin Nan had no idea about the players’ changing moods. Her system interface was nothing like that of ordinary players, and even her livestream screen was entirely obscured.
So all she thought about was boosting her Cold Value to over 200 as soon as possible. That way, the skill effect of Black Snow would become satisfactory, transforming the snowflakes swirling around her into despair-inducing blackness.
The use of the “Flowing Wind” skill had reached its peak.
Her stamina meter, without a break, could last for a maximum of 5 more minutes.
The moment Lin Nan appeared above the merchant team, the mixed crowd of players and NPCs gasped, instinctively dodging the howling wind and snow that accompanied the Cold Moon Witch.
And just when it seemed dire, the Cold Moon Witch landed among the people and, with an air of elegance, took two leisurely steps. And then, just as Gongsun Ding’s sword skill chased after her, she leaped into the air, maintaining a dangerously close distance between them. But strangely enough, his longsword would never quite touch the hem of her cloak.
After such a display, everyone on the scene was utterly captivated by the Cold Moon Witch’s casual demeanor and leisurely stroll as if she were on a walk in the park.
Even the streamer couldn’t help but mutter, “What is she doing? She must be toying with the people of Thousand Bird City!”
“Cold Value +10.”
“Cold Value +10.”
“Cold Value +10…”
In less than two minutes, Lin Nan’s Cold Value had soared past 200.
And just when no one was paying attention, the falling snowflakes turned completely black.
Since becoming the chief disciple of the Inner Door, Gongsun Ding had never experienced such mockery. After several attempts, he could no longer hold back.
He executed a graceful flip and landed on the crane’s head.
Retracting his longsword, he pressed his palms together and silently began chanting a spell. Moments later, a radiant light appeared around him.
Simultaneously, ten small green swords floated in front of him, spinning and glowing.
Each of these swords was a product of Gongsun Ding’s painstaking effort and was imbued with his spirit; summoning them drained a significant amount of energy, which is why he kept them under wraps.
If even one of these green swords were to be destroyed, it would severely affect him.
But for Gongsun Ding, using these spirit swords was merely about swiftly eliminating the demoness. To shatter his swords, you’d need a power level of at least 80, and based on what he observed, this demoness didn’t seem more than level 20-30, skilled as she might be in acrobatics.
“Prepare to d*e, demoness!”
With a roar, the ten green sword tips aimed directly at Lin Nan and charged towards her.
He originally thought about sparing her for future use by the sect, but it seemed this demoness couldn’t be allowed to live.
As the green swords hurtled towards Lin Nan, they suddenly doubled in size mid-flight! Their invincible aura sent the merchant team scrambling for cover, fearing the swords’ overwhelming power.
Lin Nan remained unfazed. The moment she unsheathed the Black Wind Sword, Gongsun Ding controlling his spirit swords experienced a brief freeze, and the green swords slowed down.
The sword flowers danced as the black snow swirled atop the tip of the Black Wind Sword.
The snowflakes, ready to become solid, solidified into diamond-like hardness.
The green swords collided directly into the flurry of snow, producing sharp screeching sounds of clash after clash.
Gongsun Ding’s expression shifted.
He hadn’t expected the Cold Moon Witch to employ such a bizarre move. The previously soft snowflakes had suddenly turned as hard as stones, and there were far too many to count.
Even if the green swords destroyed some snowflakes, the steady stream of black snow continued to replenish the vortex.
The foremost green sword began to shatter under the relentless onslaught of snowflakes.
With a thunderous bang, one sword snapped in half unexpectedly.
Gongsun Ding immediately spat out bl**d and slumped against the crane, his face pale as a ghost.
He couldn’t afford the loss of any more swords and hurriedly attempted to retract the remaining ones.
But Lin Nan knew how to seize the moment. Since he was trying to k*ll her, she wouldn’t spare any effort in a counterattack.
Having already made enemies with Thousand Bird City, even if she let Gongsun Ding go this time, it wouldn’t change the fact that she missed a golden opportunity to wipe out a foe.
Thus, without hesitation, Lin Nan swung her sword with determination, activating “Illusory Sea.”
The summoned undead creatures were optional for her, but the moment “Illusory Sea” was unleashed, it generated a massive wave of energy.
With that energy wave carrying it, countless hard snowflakes surged toward Gongsun Ding.
He knew the danger of that black snow, having just had one of his spirit swords destroyed by it.
But the black snow came too quickly. Gongsun Ding, barely recovering, had no choice but to wield his spirit swords again in defense.
With sharp crackling sounds, two more green swords shattered under the power of the black snow.
Spitting out a mouthful of bl**d, Gongsun Ding activated his last resort. He pulled out a red little figurine from his pocket and tossed it forcefully downwards.
As the rising smoke cleared, the gravely injured Gongsun Ding had completely disappeared.
Only the unfortunate crane was left, battered by the black snow.
Seeing Gongsun Ding escape, Lin Nan swiftly retracted the snowflakes. In an instant, the once overcast sky filled with wind and snow was now clear.
The lightly injured crane had intended to take flight, but Lin Nan shot it a cold glare. The crane let out a mournful cry and obediently sat down, lowering its head like a scolded child, too scared to move.
The first confrontation of good and evil in the “Way of Inquiry” world came to an end.
The livestream room fell silent; no one expected the conclusion to turn out this way.
“This… this… is just too outrageous!”
“The Cold Moon Witch is so strong, and Gongsun Ding unleashed his biggest moves yet couldn’t win!”
“Ah! My money! Had I known, I would have supported the Cold Moon Witch! Oh, these uncontrollable hands of mine!”
“Haha, you fickle fair-weather fans! Didn’t you notice that the entire time, the Cold Moon Witch was just toying with Gongsun Ding? How ridiculous that you thought she was at a disadvantage!”
A certain netizen stuttered, “Who could have anticipated that at such a critical moment, she’d still have time to mess with Gongsun Ding?”
“Haha, the Cold Moon Witch didn’t even bother to use her teleport skill this time! One can see what kind of position Gongsun Ding holds in her mind. And I just checked the info on Thousand Bird City; Gongsun Ding is level 45. Although we can’t check the Cold Moon Witch’s level, it seems she’s undoubtedly at least level 80!”
“I regret it so much, sob! Next time there’s a battle like this, I’m definitely rooting for the Cold Moon Witch. Stupid system, why’d you have to set up a bet that drained all our pocket money?”
Amidst the chorus of groaning, the few players who had wagered on the Cold Moon Witch were elated to have made a significant profit.
Just then, the merchant streamer saw the Cold Moon Witch coldly striding toward the crane.
“What is she planning? She’s not going to k*ll that celestial beast in a fit of rage, is she?!”
“Ah! That’s a unique celestial beast from Thousand Bird City! It’s incredibly precious! Cold Moon Witch, no!”
