My Arms Can Turn into Blades-Chapter 39 - 33: Xiaoxiao

Chen Lusi was quite surprised the first time he saw the front desk woman at Celestial Strategy Trading step out from behind the desk.

Every time he came to Celestial Strategy Trading, he only ever saw her standing there at the front desk.

For a time, he thought she was just an ordinary employee.

And this was also the first time he had seen the entirety of the front desk woman’s appearance.

She was a mature young woman with a striking oval face.

Wearing a business suit that hugged her curves from chest to waist, her figure was notably shapely.

Of course, the most eye-catching part was her long, full legs wrapped in smooth black silk stockings and the pointed high heels she wore.

If Lin Ying was on the verge of maturity, yet retained the lightness of a youthful girl,

then this woman was pure maturity.

A classic strong and independent woman.

"Xiaoxiao."

Wu You noticed the front desk woman appearing at the doorway and immediately responded, "Your timing is perfect. Do you know what I just witnessed?"

He began to explain what had just happened.

The front desk woman, known as Xiaoxiao, listened quietly to Wu You’s account before complaining, "Don’t call me by that name, Xiaoxiao."

Then, she turned to Chen Lusi and asked, "An Interrupt Technique?"

Her expression had lost the dejection she had at the front desk, her fine eyebrows lifted slightly, and her scrutinizing gaze made her look exceptionally imposing.

Chen Lusi nodded, "Yes, it seems feasible."

Xiaoxiao’s name rang a bell for him.

At the time, Xia Panqiu and Wu You had mentioned her, seemingly indicating she was part of Celestial Strategy’s third squad’s top strength?

"In theory, if a large amount of chaotic and disordered spirits are mixed into a technique, it would indeed affect its execution... Previously, someone tried to achieve what you said with detached spirits, but the variables in combat are too great, and controlling detached spirits is just too difficult."

Xiaoxiao nodded slowly in agreement, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "...How far can you take it?"

"Why not give it a try?"

Wu You suggested, knowing she was skeptical, "I feel that this technique’s application and potential exceed that of the ’Invisible Blade’."

"Okay."

Xiaoxiao indeed harbored some doubts, pondered for a moment, then checked the time, "Let’s test it out in the gourd, wait for me."

With those words.

She turned and left the conference room.

About ten minutes later.

She returned holding a gourd the size of a baby.

"What is that?"

Chen Lusi looked at the gourd in her hands, curious.

"Internally, we classify these things as ’Ancient Objects’."

Wu You turned to Chen Lusi, explaining proactively, "In simple terms, they’re Magical Treasures. They fall into two categories: real ancient objects and fictional ones. The former are artifacts from the real world, while the latter are special items brought about by the activation of legends.

Yes, the activation of legends in certain regions might not point to mythical tales, but rather to these kinds of ancient objects."

"And these ancient objects, their main function is to unfold the ancient and symbolically significant authority brought about by the passage of time and legends, which is stronger than normal authority, like a reluctant gift from the ancients."

Hearing this, Chen Lusi again turned his attention to the gourd placed on the table: "So this is...?"

Wu You remarked with a tinge of depth, "Have you ever heard of Fei Changfang’s story? The origin of the well-known idiom ’hanging a gourd to help the world’."

Chen Lusi nodded, "I have."

The tale goes that in Ru Nan, there was a man named Fei Changfang who, one day, saw an old man selling medicine on the street. The old man had a medicinal gourd from which he dispensed pills, powders, pastes, and pellets. After a while, as the crowd dispersed, the old man quietly slipped into the gourd.

Seeing this, Fei Changfang realized the old man was no ordinary person, visited him, and eventually followed him into the gourd, learning magical arts. From then on, he could cure all diseases, ward off plagues, and even revive the dead.

A classic tale of legend.

"This is the very gourd from that story."

Wu You said, standing in front of the gourd before placing a hand on it.

The moment his hand touched it, his form distorted and blurred, and then he was sucked into the gourd.

Chen Lusi: "..."

On the other side, Xiaoxiao gestured for him to step forward.

Chen Lusi pondered for a moment, then took a step forward, placing his own hand on the gourd as well.

The next moment.

An overwhelming sensation of weightlessness struck him.

His consciousness was torn apart.

Once Chen Lusi regained his senses,

he found himself in a space filled with swirling black fog.

The surroundings were boundless and empty, with only the endless black fog.

Forget about vermilion balustrades or strange flowers and plants.

Not a single man-made object was in sight.

"Disappointed, aren’t you?"

Wu You approached him, smiling, "Sometimes the recorded legends are inaccurate, especially with these ancient objects, where authority misalignment is commonplace... However, even though there are no vermilion balustrades or palatial fairylands, it has a very special property — injuries sustained here, as long as they aren’t fatal, can heal rapidly."

"Still... it’s impressive."

Looking around, Chen Lusi couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen a similar scene somewhere before, but couldn’t recall where.

The déjà vu came quickly and departed just as fast.

Before long,

Xiaoxiao and Xia Panqiu appeared before his eyes.

He promptly forgot that inexplicable feeling of déjà vu.

Xiaoxiao stood not far away, looking at Chen Lusi, and suggested, "How about I cast a technique, and you try to interrupt it?"

"Alright."

Chen Lusi had no objections.

He was also eager to see how reliable his technique was.

After all, Lin Ying wanted to transfer to his side, and since he had agreed, he needed to fulfill his promises.

Besides... if he intended to buy a house, living a long life was a necessity.

"Prepare yourself, I’ll try not to hurt you."

Xiaoxiao said as she turned and walked away into the distance.

She walked about thirty meters away before stopping, then turned around and asked, "Ready?"

Chen Lusi activated his spirit-sensing ability, watching the blue dots of light floating around him: "Ready."

Upon hearing his response, Xiaoxiao immediately raised her hand and launched a fireball much like Wu You had.

Chen Lusi similarly raised his hand.

Concentration, compression, impact.

In an instant.

The spirits she held became violently turbulent.

"..."

Surprised, Xiaoxiao murmured, "It really worked."

Yet, she quickly composed herself.

She lowered her hand and suddenly rushed toward Chen Lusi.

Her speed wasn’t overwhelming.

But Chen Lusi could clearly see that she was forming techniques with both hands.

Simulating combat, eh?

The enemy indeed wouldn’t stand like a wooden post while casting a technique...

As he thought, Chen Lusi once again manipulated the spirits around her.

Xiaoxiao seemed to sense something, and her speed increased suddenly.

Despite wearing high heels, she ran surprisingly fast.

Just as she was about to reach him,

Chen Lusi, with no time to think, clasped his raised hand into a fist decisively.

Instead of compressing the spirits into a ball, he directed all the surrounding spirits to surge at her hands, disrupting the technique she was forming.

Eventually.

He succeeded.

The technique Xiaoxiao was about to complete fell apart under the force of his interference.

"..."

Stopping abruptly, Xiaoxiao looked down at her hands, hiding the shock on her face.

It was truly possible, without any element of luck or chance.

She was different from Wu You.

This technique even disrupted hers...

Chen Lusi watched Xiaoxiao stop, puzzled.

At that moment, Xiaoxiao suddenly lifted her head, looking at him: "What about this then?"

She raised her left hand, aiming at Chen Lusi.

Chen Lusi’s eyes widened as he witnessed a massive amount of spiritual power drawn from her, forming a magnificent scene like a ’veil’.

Without hesitation, he gathered all surrounding spirits and directed them toward her.

But it was akin to a stream colliding with the sea.

The effect was tremendously limited.

The very next second.

The technique took form.

Chen Lusi’s feet left the ground, and he was hurled backward.

A dragon, perhaps?

As he soared through the air, Chen Lusi glimpsed the force that had struck him through the corner of his eye. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

It was a four-clawed golden dragon.