Ancient Spark of Love

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Li Daiyu's eyes widened in shock as Lan Zhan's head rolled to her feet, his lifeless body twitching on the ground as blood gushed out. She turned her attention to Wang Shen, a young man clad in a deep blue robe, standing a short distance away.

"Hahaha! now look who we have here, who else could it be other than the little princess!?"

"Wang Shen, what have I done to deserve being chased by you?" Li Daiyu shouted, her voice laced with frustration. "You and I have no past grievances. Did you simply wake up on the wrong side of the bed today and decide to hunt me down? I'm not even the princess anymore!"

Wang Shen snorted, his body crackling with lightning as he dragged a massive sword along the ground, slowly closing in on Li Daiyu.

"How does that concern me?" Wang Shen retorted, his eyes blazing with vengeance. "I'm here to avenge my dear brother, whom your father, the emperor, executed without mercy."

"I may not be his match," Wang Shen continued, "but I'll kill his only daughter, just so he knows the pain of losing the one thing dear to him. Since the day he passed judgment, you and I have been destined to be enemies."

"I don't need to have a reason to kill my enemy's daughter. now stay quiet and let me send you off to the underworld "

As Wang Shen spoke, his right hand began to accumulate energy, conjuring a brilliant sphere of violent spiritual energy. Li Daiyu, sensing the escalating danger, attempted to reason with him.

"Wang Ba was a salt trafficker and a sea pirate," Li Daiyu said, trying to calm Wang Shen down. "What did you expect his judgment to be when he was caught? The rules are clear: all salt smugglers must face capital punishment. It has nothing to do with me or my father; the law has been in place since ancient times."

As Li Daiyu spoke, she discreetly activated the teleportation compass in her hand, slowly retreating from Wang Shen's menacing approach.

Wang Shen's voice dripped with venom as he countered Li Daiyu's defense of her father. "Your father claims to have no hand in the suffering of the citizens, but the truth is far from it. The nobles and merchants have monopolized the salt trade, selling it at exorbitant prices. Meanwhile, the royal family turns a blind eye, reaping the benefits while the people suffer."

"What about the ministers embezzling public funds?" Wang Shen demanded, his anger intensifying. "What has your father done to address the plight of the citizens of Fangan, displaced by war? Can you truly call him a fair and just ruler, untainted by corruption?"

Wang Shen's words hung in the air, a scathing indictment of the imperial family. "You live off the blood and sweat of the common people, yet you continue to make life difficult for them. If that's not hypocrisy, what is?"

As Wang Shen finished speaking, he hurled the energy sphere at Li Daiyu with incredible force. She barely evaded the attack, but the sphere's impact sent shrapnels of rock and debris flying everywhere. The shockwave lifted Li Daiyu off the ground, sending her tumbling through the air. She landed hard, her body scratched and bruised from the shrapnel.

Before Li Daiyu could regain her composure, Wang Shen closed in on her with lightning speed, his sword flashing in the sunlight. The blade, imbued with electrical energy, seemed poised to deliver the final blow. Li Daiyu swiftly raised her sword to parry the attack, but the force of the impact sent her stumbling backward.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Daiyu cast her final incantation. The teleportation compass burst into a brilliant silver light, illuminating the surrounding area. "Open the gates of space, let me enter!" Li Daiyu shouted, as the compass dissolved into specks of silver light. The light coalesced, forming a shimmering portal-like gate.

Without hesitation, Li Daiyu darted toward the portal and vanished into its depths. The portal began to shrink at an incredible rate, sealing itself behind her. Wang Shen rushed forward, determined to prevent her escape. However, by the time he reached the portal, it had already dwindled to the size of a car tire.

Wang Shen sneered, his eyes blazing with determination. "You think you can escape? Not on my watch!" With a swift motion, his speed trippled, and like an experienced cave dover, he jumped into the air , jumping headfirst into the small hole and the portal disappeared right after he entered.

…

Beijing, 2025. The sky was a brilliant blue, with the sun shining brightly overhead. The weather forecast had promised a clear day, but suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled through the air. Flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a torrential downpour. Two massive bolts of lightning struck the city park in quick succession, shaking the ground. As abruptly as it had begun, the rain ceased, leaving the residents who had sought shelter bewildered.

Deep within the park, on scorched earth, two figures lay weakened on the ground. One struggled to escape, while the other sought to capture her. Li Daiyu fought to stand, using her sword as support. She attempted to check her storage ring but furrowed her brows in dismay; her spiritual power was depleted.

"Where's this place?" Li Daiyu asked, confused

Li Daiyu swiftly retrieved a jade bottle from a purse tied around her waist and swallowed two green pills. Her wounds began to heal at an astonishing rate, visible to the naked eye. As she prepared to stow the bottle away, a large hand snatched it from her grasp. Before she could turn to confront the thief, Wang Shen had already devoured the remaining three pills, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"I don't care where we are, but what I need you to know is,you aren't leaving this place alive. Prepare for death." Wang Shen proclaimed as he rushed towards her.

Li Daiyu didn't wait for her wounds to fully heal before fleeing for her life. To her surprise, she didn't receive the expected feedback from her surroundings. It was as if this new place lacked spiritual power, leaving her wondering if Wang Shen had somehow hindered her abilities.

Li Daiyu glanced back, seeing Wang Shen chasing after her, his speed significantly reduced. Soon, he caught up, and another intense battle began. Although the fight lacked the flashy magical effects of their previous encounters, the two combatants exchanged blows with remarkable skill and precision.

Unbeknownst to them, they had entered an open area, and a group of tourists could be seen in the distance, watching their fight with keen interest. The tourists seemed fascinated by the spectacle, oblivious to the danger and intensity of the battle unfolding before them.

Li Daiyu halted her retreat and turned to face Wang Shen, proposing a truce. "Wang Shen, we're in a small world with no spiritual energy. Why don't we put aside our differences and work together to find a way out of this place?"

Wang Shen's expression remained unyielding. "What do you expect me to tell my brother when I finally meet him in the afterlife? How can I explain that I collaborated with the ones responsible for his death?"

He charged at Li Daiyu, his sword flashing in the dim light. "Do you think your kingdom is free from corruption? The last thing my brother gave me was a list of corrupt officials he worked for. What did he gain in the end? They set him up and handed him over to the authorities. Or do you think a strong man like him would be easily captured by your father?"

Li Daiyu sidestepped Wang Shen's attack, dodging to the side. He advanced again, but this time, she was prepared. With a swift parry, she transformed her free hand into a claw, aiming for Wang Shen's neck. He sensed the attack and took two steps back, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Daiyu intensified her assault, slowly gaining the upper hand. Wang Shen defended himself with the skillfulness and patience of an experienced assassin, waiting for an opening to strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Shen jumped up, slamming his sword down with tremendous force. Li Daiyu, sensing the danger, rolled to the side and swiftly retrieved her sword.

Wang Shen lifted his sword off the ground with great force, leaving a large sword mark on the ground. He slammed the sword down again, this time blocking Li Daiyu's retreat path.

Li Daiyu used all her strength to parry the sword and kicked her legs in a swift motion, bringing Wang Shen to the ground with her. She kicked her leg against the ground, standing up from her lying down position, and Wang Shen followed suit.

The clash of swords rang out in the park as the two fought fiercely for over two hours. Wang Shen eventually disarmed Li Daiyu once again. Before she could react, she felt a cold sensation on her neck.

She looked to the side to see the giant sword gently placed on her neck. "Say your last prayer," Wang Shen said coldly, as he attempted to split her throat.

Just as Wang Shen was about to deliver the final blow, a series of claps and cheers erupted in the park. His vision was disrupted by flashes of light, allowing Li Daiyu to slip away from his attacking range.

Wang Shen looked around, bewildered, to find that they were surrounded by unknown mortals who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The bold ones approached him, striking strange poses while others held strange tools that flashed lights in their faces.

Wang Shen's gaze shifted to Li Daiyu, who was faring no better. She was also surrounded by the fearless mortals, who seemed oblivious to the danger that had just transpired.

Wang Shen's mind reeled in confusion. "What just happened? Where am I? What am I?" He questioned his own sanity as he found himself surrounded by a group of enthusiastic female fans.

They swarmed around him, stealing kisses and showering him with attention. Wang Shen's expression transformed from confusion to dismay, and his misery began.

"Who are these people? why are they strangely dressed? they're not your reinforcement, are they?" Wang Shen was confused as the crowd rushed him.