The whole operation was a gamble but Xuefeng was a specialist in this field. He didn't need to use bluff when he had better cards in his hands.
"I don't know what tricks you are using but my Master will never meet with you just because you want it. If she wanted to meet you, she would do it on her own," Thunder Goddess explained as she squinted her eyes at him. "You must have used a powerful Artefact to defend earlier. I can't believe you can repeat this feat one more time."
She didn't give him time to reply and extended her arm, sending a beam of Golden Lightning at his chest. Xuefeng didn't move at all just as he proposed and held his arms behind his back.
The outcome was similar with Xuefeng defending himself with a smile but this time Thunder Goddess didn't ignore him. She paid close attention to his actions and finally discovered his scheme.
"You are hiding something underneath your shirt!" Thunder Goddess called him out, causing Xuefeng to laugh.
"Hah, did you really think I have only one powerful Artefact?" Xuefeng asked back while shrugging. "I already limited myself from using any offensive Artefacts and I'm only defending. You don't have the right to complain."
"I wonder how long you can defend then," Thunder Goddess muttered before bombarding Xuefeng with a series of lightning strikes. Too bad, no matter how much she tried, Xuefeng always came out unscratched.
The only thing that finally ended was the supply of his clothes that kept getting destroyed.
'Heavenly Chains!' Xuefeng's wives cried out, recognizing the Artefact he used. His chest was wrapped with chains that shone with bright light while its sharp end was pierced into his body.
No matter how much Qi Thunder Goddess used, it was all absorbed by the chains. On the other hand, Xuefeng was useless as well, unable to retaliate with his own Qi.
„Heavenly chains?" Thunder Goddess pointed out with a frown.
„Oh, this? It's just a souvenir from the time when the Heavens went against me. I cut them off and kept them. They are cute, aren't they?" Xuefeng replied while caressing his chains.
Even if he had good cards, Xuefeng loved to sprinkle some bluffing to spice up the game.
"I am still waiting for your Master to show up. I know she can hear us," Xuefeng announced as he looked at the sky. "Will Madam grace us with your presence?"
He didn't know what to expect but no master came out to meet with him.
"You are not worthy of talking to my Master," Thunder Goddess argued, causing Xuefeng to raise his eyebrows.
"I'm not worthy?" Xuefeng asked back with a smile. "Not only am I on the path to complete the Elemental Bracelet for the first time in history but I'm also battling the Heavens. The Queen of Heaven is my wife and I will kill the King of Heaven to replace his rule. I might sound arrogant but I am not scared to share my goals."
"You said it right. Those are just goals. Unless you accomplish them, you are a nobody," Thunder Goddess countered with contempt. "Even the King of Heaven would be forced to bow down to my Master. What makes you think that you deserve her respect?"
Xuefeng was taken aback by her comment but he didn't show it on his face.
"I think you got it all wrong. Did I ever say I want her to give me special respect?" Xuefeng asked back calmly. "I am kind enough to invite her for a chat before I am forced to act against her disciple. You are my wife's friend and I would hate to kill you. All I want is to resolve the matter peacefully."
"Peacefully?" Thunder Goddess repeated offended. "You can't do anything to me. You can defend but you can't move. You don't stand a chance against me without those chains."
"Oh, not yet but since you can't do anything to me either, I will use this place to cultivate until I can beat you," Xuefeng said with a smirk. "It just happens I need a lot of Fate Stones and there are plenty of them here. Those chains won't be necessary by tomorrow."
Just as he finished speaking, his forearm suddenly stung. The Elemental Bracelet Spirit reacted to his words, sending out a warning not to stall for too long. Xuefeng almost forgot he had to deal with an annoying Spirit who didn't know what patience was. The Lightning Stone was right in front of him yet apparently Xuefeng wasn't productive enough in trying to get it.
Xuefeng remained cool and finally shared his plan.
'Nuwa and Yiren, at Tianshi's sign, come out and slow her down,' Xuefeng informed in his mind. 'I'm sure she will try to get close to take the chains off me. We will strike at that moment.'
'Alright,' Nuwa confirmed as they sneakily shifted to the front. Even though Xufeng's Qi was locked, his Soul Power was not, allowing him to utilize his Bloodline Ability.
"Sure, go ahead," Thunder Goddess agreed after a short thought before glancing at the exit. "While you are busy, I will play with them. I wonder if they can resist my lightning as well as you."
"You will not," Xuefeng busted her bluff. "If you could go through the barrier, I'm sure you would already after all those people trying to steal Fate Stones."
Xuefeng scanned her face for a reaction and added, "I'm guessing your Master ordered you to protect this Realm and you are not allowed to leave. I also think you don't know where your Master is so you are just performing your duty until your Master comes back. I am willing to bet on it."
He smiled at her cold reaction and glanced at the nearby Fate Stone as if planning on choosing which one to start with.
'Now!' Tianshi cried out at that exact moment and Thunder Goddess exploded with Golden Lightning. She vanished from her place and appeared right in front of Xuefeng, entering straight into their trap.
"Wha—"
Thunder Goddess couldn't even react when her movements slowed down and Xuefeng extended one of his chains, piercing its sharp end straight into her chest. Her mouth opened in shock but she couldn't move at all, her body locked with their combined effort.
"Don't worry, I don't plan to kill you," Xuefeng assured as he kept his own chain and extended his hand towards Thunder Goddess's forehead. "I will only take what I need to survive."
His Elemental Bracelet was already vibrating in excitement as he grasped Lightning Stone firmly. The fight was over just like that, or at least that's what he thought.
"If you take it out, I will kill you."
