Luo Yueguan curiously reached out and placed her hand on Jiang Huai’s shoulder. She could sense his spiritual energy rapidly dissipating within him. His sea of Qi had shattered, rendering him like a leaky bucket that couldn’t hold any spiritual energy, no matter how much he possessed. Jiang Huai felt a slight pang of regret; he had only used a fifth of that spiritual energy.
“What method is this?” Luo Yueguan asked.
“It’s an inheritance I obtained back in Daoji Ancestral Land, a Daoist magic left by several True Lords. It can temporarily boost one’s cultivation level once. It can only be used this once, so he’s out of luck,” Jiang Huai replied softly. His gaze fell upon Mu Lanyan, who stood before him. Her expression was grim, and a hint of killing intent flickered in her eyes.
“Did I cause trouble?” Jiang Huai asked quietly.
Luo Yueguan gave him a wry look. “Is it not a bit late to be asking that now?”
“I suppose it is,” Jiang Huai scratched his head.
Luo Yueguan silently moved Jiang Huai behind her, her expression serious. “In competitions between juniors, victory and defeat are common. Anyone with eyes can see that he held back with that sword strike just now. Otherwise, whether your son is still alive is debatable. Mu Lanyan, do you have anything to say?”
Mu Lanyan, however, did not answer Luo Yueguan. She tightly held Mu Jiaoyang in her arms and hastily fed him two excellent healing pills. Mu Jiaoyang slowly regained consciousness, but the pride that had once been on his face had completely vanished. Mu Lanyan, having watched Mu Jiaoyang grow up, knew her son had always been exceedingly proud, with a perpetual air of arrogance in his eyes. But now, that arrogance had been shattered, replaced by a trace of fear. “Mom… his sword… his sword… I couldn’t dodge it…”
“Mom is here, it’s alright,” Mu Lanyan replied gently, setting Mu Jiaoyang down. She stepped forward, and the situation shifted to a confrontation between her and Luo Yueguan. “Since the junior competition is over, Luo Yueguan, do you dare to spar with me?”
Instantly, spiritual energy surged behind Mu Lanyan. The sword light in her hand flashed like a startled swan. A fierce wind whipped up, and her Sword Intent stirred the heavens and earth, making even the clouds turn somber. Luo Yueguan, however, didn’t flinch. She merely sneered, “Who’s afraid of you?”
Though she spoke those words, the hand gripping the sword beneath her robes trembled slightly. Luo Yueguan had not sparred with anyone in a long time. For years, she had been troubled by inner demons, rarely using her spiritual energy to avoid giving them an opportunity. Even though her inner demons seemed to have weakened slightly recently, unleashing her full spiritual energy now would likely require decades more of meditation and suppression. But Jiang Huai was behind her, and she could not retreat.
“Are you truly not afraid?” Mu Lanyan seemed to sense the fear in Luo Yueguan’s eyes, a contemptuous smile playing on her lips. The next moment, her figure vanished from sight, reappearing in the air above. Countless streams of spiritual energy formed a vast sea of swords behind her, their blades facing Luo Yueguan in a provocative stance. Luo Yueguan’s body contorted. She hadn’t wielded a sword in a long time, and her sword techniques were ones that inflicted a thousand damages on the enemy at the cost of eight hundred on herself. She knew her talent was inferior to most. In her hundreds of years of cultivation, she had gambled many times, staking her life in desperate battles. Each time, she had miraculously won, leading to her current achievements. Back then, she feared neither life nor death. But now, a inexplicable panic began to surface.
On the ground, Jiang Huai looked up at Luo Yueguan in the distance, a sudden unease stirring in his heart. He knew Luo Yueguan was plagued by inner demons; would this exertion of spiritual energy worsen them? Beside him, Bai Li bit her lip, her face pale, unable to speak for a moment. Everything had started because of her, yet now she was powerless to intervene. She gazed worriedly at the distant sky, then suddenly froze.
The figure in the white Daoist robe appeared so suddenly that no one noticed her at first. But as they recognized the cold and sacred face, everyone held their breath, stunned into silence. Luo Yueguan glanced back and was also momentarily taken aback.
“Chu Xianning?”
Chu Xianning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
“Her child tried to snatch the spirit beast that Jiang Huai raised in a secret realm and was injured by it. After leaving the secret realm, elders from her family came seeking revenge, demanding Jiang Huai hand over the spirit beast to her child. Jiang Huai refused, so he had a sword discussion with her child. Her child was no match and is now enraged, wanting to spar with me.” Luo Yueguan immediately understood Chu Xianning’s unspoken intention and quickly explained the situation.
Chu Xianning nodded slightly, her delicate pink lips moving as she softly said, “Jiang Huai is my disciple. You can step down; I’ll handle it.” Luo Yueguan understood her meaning but hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice, “Your old injury…” Luo Yueguan was suggesting they fight together. Chu Xianning, having known Luo Yueguan for so long, understood perfectly. But Chu Xianning merely replied calmly, “I am sufficient alone.” With that, Luo Yueguan’s figure twisted once more, and she returned to Jiang Huai’s side.
Jiang Huai stood there, gazing at Chu Xianning in the distance. Her figure was slender and delicate; her sword light and aura were not as surging as Mu Lanyan’s. She seemed as fragile as a small boat in a storm. Luo Yueguan, sensing his concern, said softly, “Don’t worry too much. A hundred years ago, she could wield the Suoxue Sword to slay an Eighth Realm evil cultivator. Now, a Mahayana third stage opponent would be considered lucky if they could withstand ten of her sword strikes.”
“Chu Xianning?” Mu Lanyan clearly recognized Chu Xianning. Although Luo Yueguan and Chu Xianning were both renowned fairies of Moon Wave Continent, Chu Xianning’s reputation far surpassed Luo Yueguan’s. Chu Xianning had accomplished many deeds that shook the entire Eastern Region, such as the Moluo City battle and, a century ago, single-handedly slaying the Evil Moon Demon Lord. Her cultivation had stagnated at Mahayana first stage due to an old injury preventing further progress. However, her soul and Sword Intent were improving daily. The Sword Intent cultivated over years of not drawing her sword was slowly condensing in her hands.
“Your child attempted to snatch my disciple’s spirit beast, and now he himself is no match for my disciple. You now intend to harm him on your child’s behalf, is that correct?” Chu Xianning’s voice was icy cold, her dress ties fluttering in the wind. She held her spirit sword, the Suoxue Sword, whose emanating chill caused the rain that had quietly begun to fall from the sky to transform into light, scattered snowflakes.
Mu Lanyan was momentarily speechless. To be precise, the matter was not on her side. But at her level of cultivation, reason was often unnecessary. She didn’t fear Luo Yueguan, who was only at the mid-Eighth Realm. Furthermore, Mu Lanyan could vaguely sense that Luo Yueguan’s soul was unstable; in a true confrontation, Luo Yueguan might not defeat her. Especially since she carried her husband’s sword tassel, which was equivalent to her husband delivering a full-power blow if necessary. But now, facing Chu Xianning, she found herself at a loss for words.
“Yes, or no?” Chu Xianning’s tone was exceptionally cold. Although her words were not aggressive, Mu Lanyan inexplicably felt a chill on her neck. Everyone knew Chu Xianning was a terrifyingly stubborn woman. Others might hesitate for various reasons, like the fact that the Mu family was the foremost clan in Linglong Continent, with numerous allied forces. It wouldn’t be good to have future unpleasant encounters. But Chu Xianning had always been alone for so many years.
“You’ve misunderstood something…” Although Mu Lanyan felt a hint of unwillingness and regret after saying this, she also felt a sense of relief, her heart becoming lighter.
“Misunderstood?” Chu Xianning looked at her calmly. “What have I misunderstood?”
“My child did indeed want to snatch your disciple’s spirit beast, but your disciple’s spirit beast also injured my child. Earlier, your disciple’s sword discussion with my eldest son also shattered his Dao heart. This matter… can be considered even. Chu Xianning, don’t push it.”
Chu Xianning’s gaze calmly looked down at Jiang Huai below. A divine sense immediately transmitted into Jiang Huai’s ear, asking, “Are you injured?”
“I’m fine, Master. Not a scratch. There’s no need to dwell on this,” Jiang Huai replied immediately, signaling her not to worry. If possible, he did not wish to see Chu Xianning fight others, especially since she still had an old injury. Even a light victory could aggravate it. Therefore, he had held back considerably when attacking Mu Jiaoyang. Otherwise, that single strike could have directly crippled his sea of Qi, leading to a lifelong feud.
Chu Xianning nodded slightly, then glanced at Mu Lanyan. “You may leave.” Her tone was indifferent and cold. The disdain was evident without any deliberate effort, completely humiliating Mu Lanyan. Chu Xianning didn’t even look at Mu Lanyan again before returning to the ground and approaching Jiang Huai. Chu Xianning wore a white Daoist robe, her jet-black hair unkempt and falling loosely over her shoulders, exuding an air of lazy casualness. Jiang Huai rarely saw Chu Xianning like this; in their courtyard, she usually kept her hair neatly tied. However, her eyes seemed to carry a hint of fatigue, as if she hadn’t rested in a long time.
Chu Xianning reached out, her fingertips gently pressing against his chest. “I’m fine, not hurt at all. The rumors about me having only five years of lifespan left were false. Believe me, Master, I have plenty of lifespan left. You don’t need to worry.” Jiang Huai quickly explained to Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning, however, remained silent, her eyes gazing intently at Jiang Huai for a long time. Jiang Huai became flustered. It was rare for Chu Xianning to look at him like this. As he met her gaze, he found her eyes incredibly complex, as deep and serene as a cold, hidden spring beneath the moonlight. After a long while, Chu Xianning finally withdrew her gaze. “It’s good that you’re alright,” she said softly.
