Chapter 221: The Shadow of the Past

Facing Chihuang’s sword edge, Chi Lian panicked and drew the Sword at her waist.

Red Lingli rushed hurriedly toward the blade as she tried to parry. Seeing this, Chihuang felt a flash of disdain in her heart.

Even though she sensed that Chi Lian’s Cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul stage, she didn’t believe the other woman could take her strike head-on.

The reason was simple: Chi Lian had been by her side since childhood. Rather than calling them fellow sect members, it was more accurate to say that Chihuang had raised her with her own hands.

Chihuang knew Chi Lian’s path of Cultivation far too well, from the initial drawing of Qi into the body to Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.

Chi Lian’s Root Foundation was not the top-tier Jade Liquid Qi Refining, nor was it the perfect Purple Mansion Foundation. In the past, the quality of her Lingli could only be considered mediocre.

With such a background, how could she hope to withstand a single sword strike from her?

The dual swords clashed, sending sparks flying in all directions.

The expected scene of the Sword flying out of Chi Lian’s hand did not occur.

Although Chi Lian’s face was filled with panic, she firmly blocked Chihuang’s sword edge.

There was no movement technique to evade, nor any move used to deflect the force—it was the simplest and most direct parry, relying on a quality of Lingli that far exceeded Chihuang’s estimates.

The strong wind generated by the collision spread out, blowing back the hair and dresses of the two women.

At such a close distance, Chihuang could clearly see the expression on Chi Lian’s face.

Those eyes that were always lowered were filled with apology and panic, her lips slightly pursed, exuding a sense of helpless innocence, as if she were the one being bullied.

Seeing this expression, the nameless fire in Chihuang’s heart roared to life.

You were the one who took the initiative to come onto the stage to challenge me, disregarding our past relationship, so who are you showing this aggrieved look to now?!

“Hmph!” Chihuang snorted coldly, no longer holding back.

Her wrist flicked, and her sword momentum suddenly became dense and urgent.

The Sword in her hand seemed to transform into a sky full of red driving rain, carrying the whistling sound of breaking air as it shrouded Chi Lian from all directions.

The sword light was like a torrential rain of pear blossoms.

Chi Lian was finally forced back repeatedly by this violent offensive.

The Sword in her hand moved clumsily as she struggled to block each of those scorching flashes of sword light.

Her movements were slightly sluggish, and her movement techniques were not particularly sophisticated; she often only managed to block her vital points with the blade of her sword in the nick of time.

Later, facing the increasingly dense sword shadows, her movements clearly could not keep up.

She simply released a large amount of Lingli externally, condensing it into a thick, crimson Spiritual Light shield around her body, attempting to use the clumsy method of “one shield breaks ten thousand laws” to tough it out.

“Fool!” Chihuang cursed inwardly.

Facing this kind of turtle-shell tactic, the best way was to focus on a single point to break the surface.

She immediately changed her sword momentum, and the sky full of sword shadows instantly retracted.

All her Lingli and Sword Intent condensed into a single point.

A point of red light, piercingly bright to the extreme, lit up at the tip of her sword as she stabbed fiercely toward the center of the crimson light shield.

“Break!”

The tip of the sword struck the light shield, producing a dull, strange sound. The light shield fluctuated violently, and countless ripples appeared on its surface.

Chi Lian’s face turned pale along with it, showing a look of pain.

The light shield flickered between bright and dim, appearing as if it would shatter in the next moment.

However, it ultimately remained standing tremulously, not having been broken by the single strike.

Chihuang’s gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, she stabbed out several more times in succession.

Each strike condensed a powerful piercing force, stabbing ruthlessly at the same point on the light shield.

“Puff! Puff! Puff!”

The light shield shook violently, and the ripples expanded into waves.

Beads of sweat seeped from Chi Lian’s forehead; she was clearly under immense pressure.

But that light shield, which looked like it was on the verge of collapsing, stubbornly refused to shatter completely.

After several failed attempts, Chihuang’s expression finally changed.

She was not a reckless person, and at this moment, she understood where Chi Lian’s confidence to challenge her came from.

The other woman’s quality of Lingli had improved to a staggering degree.

“No wonder you dared to come and challenge me.” Chihuang retracted her sword and took two steps back, her cold voice and eyes scrutinizing the panting Chi Lian.

“It seems you truly obtained many benefits at the Nine Heavens Palace.”

The aura around her body climbed once again.

Red flames rose from within her, coiling around the Sword and her body, and the air was scorched into distortion.

The testing was over. She transformed into flowing fire, and her Sword Technique no longer adhered to rigid forms, crashing toward Chi Lian from every angle.

The pressure on Chi Lian increased sharply.

Her use of her Gongfa was clearly unrefined, and most of the time she could only rely on instinct and the Nine Heavens Palace Sword Technique taught by Su Yingman to respond.

However, within the crimson Lingli rising around her body, strands of highly resilient black and white energy began to mix.

These Two Energies of Yin and Yang were not the main force of the attack, but they skillfully circulated within her defense.

At times, they turned into a soft force to deflect the impact of the flames, and at other times, they turned into a hard force to enhance the power of her Sword Technique.

This caused Chi Lian to be in a constant state of peril while struggling to cope, yet she somehow managed to barely withstand Chihuang’s fierce attack.

For a time, the flames on the stage and the crimson Spiritual Light mixed with the Two Energies of Yin and Yang intertwined and collided. The sound of explosions was endless.

Jiang Huai frowned as he watched from below the stage.

With his help to improve her Root Foundation and having received the Nine Heavens Palace Inheritance, Chi Lian shouldn’t be fighting so passively, almost entirely relying on her improved Lingli quality to tank the hits.

Clearly, her long-term experience as a Maidservant and the deep-seated awe she felt when facing her former master were seriously affecting her performance.

“Hmm? Why is Chi Lian fighting with Chihuang? What happened?”

Jiang Huai turned his head to see Zhu Siyao squeezing through from somewhere.

Dressed in red like fire, she was looking at the stage with her delicate eyebrows furrowed. Jiang Huai briefly explained the reason.

After listening, Zhu Siyao’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter, and her face was written with disapproval.

“Why would you make her do something like this? Challenging her former master in the very tribe where she was born. Is this really good for Chi Lian? Look at how constrained her fighting is; she must be feeling terrible inside.”

Jiang Huai was silent for a moment, his gaze still resting on that struggling yet stubborn figure on the stage.

He said slowly, “I think she is too self-deprecating. She was a Maidservant by Chihuang’s side for too long, remaining obscure and getting used to everything revolving around Chihuang. Even though she now possesses a new identity and power, deep in her heart, she might still feel she isn’t worthy—that all of this feels stolen.”

He paused, his tone becoming certain. “Allowing her to personally defeat the person she once looked up to is the fastest and most direct way to break this mental knot. Regardless of the past, she needs a victory now to prove to herself that she is worthy of everything she has now, and that she doesn’t have to live in someone’s shadow forever.”

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhu Siyao with clear eyes.

“Actually, I am a very biased person, biased toward my own people.”

Zhu Siyao was stunned. “Your own people?” She was somewhat puzzled; Jiang Huai’s actions were clearly forcing Chi Lian.

“Yes.” Jiang Huai nodded.

“I know that if Chi Lian wins, it might be a significant blow to the arrogant Chihuang, especially after she lost to Qin Xuange yesterday.” He looked at Chi Lian on the stage, who was starting to show improvement.

“But Chi Lian is now a member of our Nine Heavens Palace. I hope she can stand up as quickly as possible and find her own confidence and path.”

Jiang Huai fell into a memory. “Before, in that Little Courtyard in the Central State, when Zhaohua and I depended on each other for survival, she was the one who pulled me out of a desperate situation and gave me a home. So, even though she was always covered in injuries and illness, making it difficult to get out of bed, and even though I had to exhaust my strength just to barely make ends meet, I never thought about leaving. At that time, I thought: we are our own people. I am hers, and she is mine… I had to support her and keep the best of everything for her until the very end.”

Zhu Siyao suppressed all the playful expressions on her face and stood quietly by his side.

“Later, when I was taken away by Qingqiu and learned of her true identity and situation, I finally felt at ease,” Jiang Huai continued, his tone gradually changing.

“When I first entered Cultivation, what I thought of was the free and easy life of traveling across the world. But slowly, I discovered that perhaps the meaning of Cultivation for me is more about being able to protect these people of mine who are by my side.”

On the stage, Chi Lian seemed to have gradually adapted to the rhythm of Chihuang’s fierce attacks and began to attempt counterattacks. Although it was still unrefined, compared to the initial state of purely taking hits, it now had a bit more structure.

“So, as long as Chi Lian can become better because of this and believe in herself more,” Jiang Huai said softly, “challenging Chihuang is no big deal. If there really are any consequences, I can back her up.”

Zhu Siyao stood beside him, remaining silent for a long time.

Only the biting cold wind of the Northern Plains blew against their robes, making them flutter and snap.

She knew the “own people” Jiang Huai spoke of also included her, just like the choice he made when she was possessed by the Outworld Heavenly Demon.

After a long while, Zhu Siyao’s red lips curled slightly.

She moved to Jiang Huai’s side and reached out her arms to embrace his, her soft, warm body pressing tightly against him.

She said with a tone of complaint, “I knew you’d say these nice words just to coax people! And you talk about backing her up—if Chihuang loses and Clan Leader Chi Hong comes knocking with her sword, I want to see how you’ll back her then!”

Jiang Huai felt the soft sensation coming from his arm.

He turned his head, leaned close to her small ear, and lowered his voice. “If I said that right now I might actually be able to beat Clan Leader Chi Hong, would you believe me?”

Zhu Siyao’s pupils shrank slightly.

She turned her head in surprise to look at Jiang Huai’s face, which was inches away.

Seeing the smile in his eyes, she immediately reached out and gave the soft flesh at his waist a pinch that was neither light nor heavy.

“Braggart! She is a famous senior of the Great Ascension Stage! You are only at the Golden Core stage!”

Jiang Huai winced in pain and muttered in dissatisfaction, “I’m serious. Why don’t you believe your Husband Lord?”

“I can’t believe everything, my Husband Lord Saint Son,” Zhu Siyao drawled. She took the opportunity to lean her entire weight against him, her arms circling his waist.

Her tone suddenly became sour.

“Also, why does Chi Lian have a set of black-and-silver robes to match yours while I don’t? All that talk about being the Master Sister was just a lie. You have to make a matching set for me too. And what were you doing last night? Did you think of me?”

She hugged Jiang Huai’s waist, gently swaying him back and forth, venting the small bits of resentment and the feeling of being neglected from the past few days.

Cang Ling, who had intended to quietly slip over and talk to Jiang Huai, happened to walk nearby and took in this entire scene.

Her footsteps stopped, her expression turned awkward, and her mouth twitched a couple of times.

She quickly lowered her head, pretending to look at the ground, and dejectedly wagged her tail as she turned around and went back the way she came.

‘Good heavens, there’s another one?’

‘Is there no downtime?’