Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 163 Jinx

Laurel’s pupils shrank as Ling Xuan’s figure closed the distance between them in an instant, the air shifting sharply around her as instinct took over.

She raised the sword in her hand just in time to block the incoming strike, the sound of metal clashing ringing loudly through the space as the force behind it sent a jolt through her arms and nearly knocked the weapon out of her grip.

Her feet slid backward across the ground, her balance faltering as she struggled to steady herself, her fingers tightening around the hilt as she sucked in a sharp breath, the impact leaving her arms slightly numb as she stared at Ling Xuan in disbelief.

"That’s ten percent?" Laurel blurted out, her voice laced with shock as she barely managed to keep her footing.

"You are mocking me." She added, but the anger inside her wanted her to win...

Ling Xuan’s eyes narrowed, her expression calm as she stepped forward again, her movements smooth and controlled as she swung her sword once more, forcing Laurel to react.

Laurel raised her sword again, but this time she misjudged the angle, and Ling Xuan’s blade struck hers with enough force to knock it aside, leaving her completely exposed as Ling Xuan’s sword stopped just inches away from her neck.

Laurel froze.

A thin line of cold sweat formed on her back as her breathing grew uneven, her grip tightening instinctively even though she knew she had already lost that exchange.

"If this were real, you would be dead," Ling Xuan said calmly, pulling her sword back.

"You can’t even win your respect... what do you think this is? Do you like the feeling of being powerless? How does it feel?"

Laurel swallowed hard as she stepped back, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to calm herself, but the frustration building inside her only grew stronger.

She stared at her hands. Being powerless made her lungs suffocate. Although she had never thought too much about revenge since she was reborn...she closed her eyes as if realisation dawned on her. ’Why haven’t I thought much about it? Didn’t I want to make them pay?’ She touched her chest.

’Camile, Ronan, Alexander... the severance cult... they should pay, right?’

"Then teach me properly," Laurel said, her voice firm despite the lingering tremble. "You can’t expect me to fight you like this."

"It’s not just about teaching you... What about your temperament? Kindness doesn’t mean being weak and letting others walk over you... Softness doesn’t mean you have to give in and let things go. A warrior’s strength also comes from their temperament, morals, and discipline."

Ling Xuan’s gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before she shifted her stance slightly. "Watch carefully," she said.

She moved again, slower this time, her sword cutting through the air in a controlled motion as she demonstrated the stance, the angle, and the timing without saying much, her movements precise and efficient as if every motion had been practiced countless times.

Laurel’s eyes followed closely, her earlier anger mixing with focus as she adjusted her grip on the sword and mirrored the stance as best as she could, though her posture remained stiff and uncertain.

"Again," Ling Xuan said.

This time, when she attacked, the speed was reduced, giving Laurel just enough time to react as she raised her sword and blocked the strike, though the impact still traveled through her arms, making her teeth clench slightly.

"Too slow," Ling Xuan said. "Tell me what makes you angry? Don’t you hate yourself for being weak? So weak that you couldn’t even win your husband’s heart, so weak that everyone walks over you like a doormat, and so stupid that you couldn’t tell justice from grace."

Laurel frowned as she adjusted her footing, her frustration growing. Those words from Ling Xuan did not affect her the way she expected.

She believed Ling Xuan had always been cruel, saying such words were normal.

They exchanged blows again, the sound of metal clashing echoing through the space as Laurel struggled to keep up, her movements clumsy compared to Ling Xuan’s refined technique, but she did not stop, even when her arms began to ache and her grip started to weaken.

Each strike forced her to react faster, think less, and move more on instinct, and though she stumbled more than once, she did not let go of the sword.

Time passed without her noticing.

Sweat formed along her forehead, her breathing growing heavier as her body began to protest. Still, she pushed through it, her focus narrowing as she watched Ling Xuan’s movements more closely, trying to predict the next strike instead of simply reacting to it.

Ling Xuan’s eyes flickered slightly as she observed the change, but she did not say anything as she continued the exchange, her attacks becoming slightly sharper as if testing Laurel’s limit.

Seeing that Laurel was still lagging and that her earlier words had fallen on deaf ears, Ling Xuan’s eyes grew colder. "Tell me, your parents must have died because of you, and they must have regretted giving birth to you."

Laurel froze in her spot as her words cut deeper than any blade. Her eyes widened with both pain and anger. Memories of her parents dying in front of her, their blood pooling around them flashed through her mind.

Unconsciously, tears streamed down her face. Her body trembled as she looked up at Ling Xuan. "You can talk to me however you want, but don’t bring my parents into this."

"You know I’m telling the truth..."

Before Ling Xuan could finish her words, Laurel closed the distance between them in seconds striking her blade with all her strength.

"Don’t mention them again!"

A faint smirk curved on Ling Xuan’s face as she effortlessly blocked her strike.

"Why? Because you don’t want to hear that you are a disgrace to them? Look at you, they wouldn’t be proud of you."

"I said STOP!" Laurel struck again and again in succession, her eyes bloodshot with anger. Maybe pain, and she was afraid to believe that Ling Xuan was right.

Her strikes were relentless, each stronger than the last.

Ling Xuan kept on defending, her gaze hardening as she noticed her growing strength.

"You must be a jinx..."

Something snapped inside Laurel, ’a jinx...’

Her mind wandered to the time she was taken to the orphanage. The memories of kids her age surrounding her, while calling a jinx that killed her own family... even the workers all sneered in front of her as they called her a jinx. Even her food portions were reduced because of it.

Her shoulders trembled. Her jaw clenched as she raised her gaze to meet Ling Xuan. "I’m not a JINX."

She leaped into the air, raising her sword with both hands. Suddenly, dots of light gathered around her sword, her dark hair floating in the air.

Ling Xuan’s eyes sparkled with dark satisfaction, she raised her sword to block her, but the impact sent her flying several meters back.

The ground trembled as Laurel landed on the ground.

Ling Xuan’s eyes widened slightly, staring at the blade, which was still shaking from the impact. Something inside her snapped.

"Since you want us to use our powers... I’ll play with you." As she said those words, her sword oozed with purple and dark energy.