Hearing these words, especially the phrase “sparing no effort,” Mo Xiaonian suddenly abandoned the thought of leaving.
The guidance of the Red Lotus Saintess was far too important to her, and she absolutely could not miss it lightly.
Mo Xiaonian didn’t know what it would take to gain the Mo family’s approval, but she was certain that surpassing the Red Lotus Saintess would make the Mo family and her father acknowledge her worth—the worth of the legitimate daughter of the Muyun Mo family.
As the young lady of the Muyun clan, Mo Xiaonian’s childhood should have been filled with happiness, growing up carefree under her parents’ protection, with worries and troubles merely passing guests, and only smiles a constant presence.
However, shortly after her birth, her mother was killed by a snake demon lurking in the Mo residence.
The cursed creature was already at the half-step Void Refinement realm, unmatched by anyone.
A three-year-old girl watched helplessly as her mother was swallowed whole.
Days later, Gu Yun, the righteous leader of Muyun Continent, arrived with an elegant and unparalleled female disciple.
Together, they took only two hours to behead the seven-thousand-year-old snake demon, their white robes unstained by even a drop of blood.
Her mother’s death caused a drastic change in her father, Mo Xulin, the current head of the Mo family, who had once been gentle, refined, humble, and low-key.
In the ten years following the snake demon incident, no one saw him smile, and a sinister gloom never left his brow.
Perhaps to prevent such a tragedy from recurring, or for some other reason, Mo Xulin’s demands on his children grew increasingly deranged.
When his eldest son, Cai Molin, was ten, he was thrown into a pitch-black cave to fight dozens of giant pythons.
As a father, Mo Xulin stood outside, watching coldly until the bloodied boy emerged from the cave holding a snake’s head, only then nodding in satisfaction.
Compared to her brother’s fierce ruthlessness and exceptional talent, Mo Xiaonian paled in comparison, especially her timid and cowardly nature, which Mo Xulin greatly disliked.
After several failed attempts to “mold” her, Mo Xulin completely gave up on his youngest daughter, no longer sparing her a glance.
It was as if, as long as Mo Xiaonian was alive, whatever she became was irrelevant to him.
Her mother’s death, her father’s indifference, and her brother’s shadow made Mo Xiaonian’s childhood purely bleak.
Even days that weren’t so painful were few, and so-called happiness and warmth were practically nonexistent.
To gain her family’s and father’s approval, Mo Xiaonian pushed herself to the limit every day, training for eight or nine hours, fainting and vomiting blood without complaint.
However, in the path of cultivation, talent far outweighs hard work, and choices matter more than effort.
Achieving Foundation Establishment at thirteen would be considered prodigious by ordinary standards, but in the Muyun Mo family, it was merely average, far from catching Mo Xulin’s eye.
The last time she felt at ease in the Mo family was five years ago at the Spirit Sword Sect’s Sword Discussion Forum, where her brother, a direct disciple of the grand elder, was thoroughly beaten by the young master of the Spirit Sword Sect using a willow branch.
Mo Xiaonian still vividly remembered Molin’s humiliated state.
The ruthless Molin was Mo Xiaonian’s shadow, while the white-robed youth wielding a willow branch as a sword was Molin’s shadow.
Now, the stubborn Mo Xiaonian had become Gu Shenzhi’s shadow.
The way of the Dao is natural, and all things are born and restrained by one another—truly so.
Gu Shenzhi pulled Mo Xiaonian by the sleeve, leading her to the Red Lotus Saintess, and said solemnly, “Huang’er, this is Mo Xiaonian, whom I’ve often mentioned to you. My junior sister is exceptionally talented, especially skilled in swordsmanship, but she lacks a good teacher’s guidance. I hope the Saintess can offer her some pointers.”
Exceptionally talented, especially skilled in swordsmanship?
Mo Xiaonian couldn’t help but feel that Senior Brother Gu was subtly mocking her, and she felt a bit uneasy.
The Red Lotus Saintess’s beautiful eyes flickered as she earnestly looked at the green-robed girl with her head lowered and brows furrowed.
Indeed, with her delicate features and pearly teeth, she was nearly as stunning as a peerless beauty.
Why do all the stray cats that show up look so good?
First Tao Yao, now Mo Xiaonian.
Husband… bah! Gu Shenzhi is such a beast, preying on women and only targeting the most beautiful ones.
This is bad.
I need to discuss with Sister Yuexi how to fend off these stray cats, or who knows how many more Gu Shenzhi will bring.
Su Linghuang pondered to herself, half-angrily, half-playfully glaring at Gu Shenzhi before saying, “Since we’re from the same sect and with my husband’s special attention, how could I refuse? Follow me.”
She emphasized the words “special attention,” and faced with his wife’s vinegar-laced questioning, Gu Shenzhi was caught in a dilemma, unable to respond or stay silent.
In his awkwardness, he chose to play dumb, feigning confusion.
Mo Xiaonian, standing excitedly to the side, hadn’t even heard the Red Lotus Saintess’s words clearly.
She had no mind for such details, eagerly following with her sword in hand.
The three arrived at an open area in Qihuang Courtyard and quickly spread out.
Mo Xiaonian drew her sword to face Su Linghuang, while Gu Shenzhi leaned against the courtyard wall, watching the two stunning women.
“Why hasn’t the Saintess drawn her sword yet?” Mo Xiaonian, already in an offensive stance, asked first.
Su Linghuang, dressed in a fitted deep red gown, let out a cold laugh.
She tucked back her snowy hair, exuding an ethereal aura like a cold fairy who had wandered into the mortal realm.
Her cherry lips curled into a teasing smile as she countered, “To deal with you, do I even need to draw [Evil Phoenix]?”
Such an insult, even from the Red Lotus Saintess, was unbearable for Mo Xiaonian.
Her lifelong experiences made her particularly sensitive about her pride—or rather, her deep-seated inferiority.
Holding her sword in her right hand, Mo Xiaonian lightly tapped the ground with her toes, leaping into the air.
[Fish Dance] gleamed with a cold light, carrying the might of its sword spirit as it struck toward the Red Lotus Saintess.
The sword spirit of [Fish Dance] was a massive emerald carp, extending the attack range to over three zhang and capable of devouring spiritual energy, making it exceptional among Mysterious-tier spirit swords.
However, Gu Shenzhi glanced at it and despairingly turned his head, resting it weakly against the wall.
Well, those eighty-one sword exchanges were for nothing.
In the eyes of this black-robed youth, who humbly called himself “the second-best swordsman of Muyun Continent’s younger generation,” the outcome was clear—Junior Sister Mo was doomed to a crushing defeat.
For fairness, Su Linghuang suppressed her cultivation to the late Foundation Establishment stage and channeled all her spiritual energy into the index and middle fingers of her right hand, where a chilling sword aura swirled around her delicate jade fingers.
Evading was not the Red Lotus Saintess’s way of the sword; she sought to clash head-on.
With a loud bang, the sword light of [Fish Dance] collided with Su Linghuang’s fingertips, but they didn’t meet directly.
The chilling sword aura acted like a sturdy shield between them.
“Saintess, my sword spirit can absorb spiritual energy. Keep this up, and you’re bound to lose!” Mo Xiaonian declared.
“Are you… sure?” Su Linghuang suddenly laughed.
Her fingertip’s chilling sword aura surged more than tenfold.
A flash of white light passed, and the carp was instantly sliced into pieces.
Mo Xiaonian, along with her sword, was sent flying over ten zhang.
But this time, before she could hit the ground headfirst, an unnamed kind soul caught her with spiritual energy, allowing her delicate jade feet to land steadily on the ground.
“Hmph,” Su Linghuang coughed symbolically, her phoenix eyes glaring like daggers at the black-robed youth, who stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.
“Who’s my husband helping here?”
“Of course I’m on Huang’er’s side. I wouldn’t help a barely familiar junior sister, would I?” Gu Shenzhi said with an awkward smile.
“Spare me the insincere words. Some people say one thing, but their actions are quite honest,” Su Linghuang retorted.
Hearing this, Gu Shenzhi silently took two steps toward his wife and drew his sword to carve a line in the bluestone, as if to “draw a clear line” with Mo Xiaonian.