章 21: Half of Your Life is Mine
"Look out!"
A low shout rang out, as if thunder had struck the ground. His righteous brow furrowed like a sharp sword, aimed straight at Lan Yixuan. Before the shout faded, under the clear sky, flames burst forth, his palms glowing red, even more dazzling than the scorching sun above, charging directly toward Lan Yixuan's chest.
Seeing this, Lei An and Lei Yun didn't step forward to confront him. Instead, they retreated to the sides of the carriage, seemingly unconcerned that Bai Zhantian would harm Lan Yixuan.
The true qi in his palms was powerful and abundant, generating a fierce wind from afar. In the forest, leaves rustled, birds and beasts fled in all directions, and many trees were uprooted.
Such a strong momentum and profound inner strength.
Hair whipped in the wind, stinging her face and leaving thin scratches. Dressed in white, the carriage beneath her remained exceptionally stable, not even swaying slightly. The corners of her mouth curled up; Xuan Yue swung her legs, glancing sideways at Lan Yixuan, who leaned against the carriage, eyes closed in relaxation, completely unfazed by the terrifying attack.
In contrast, Lei An and Lei Yun looked less at ease. They clenched their fists, their faces ashen, lips pale, and sweat beading on their foreheads, brows furrowed in evident pain.
The fiery light danced in the center of his palm, golden rays approaching. Suddenly, his clear eyes squinted, and Xuan Yue slapped her right hand against the carriage frame. With a light step, her figure was agile and graceful, like a soaring dragon. Before she could get close, the fierce wind generated by the palm strike hit her like a hammer, making her head throb painfully, her eyes nearly closing.
Xuan Yue reached for the jade flute at her waist, hesitating for a moment but ultimately not drawing it out.
The overwhelming energy from the palm was like a raging storm at sea, pushing straight toward her chest. Xuan Yue's complexion turned pale, brows knitted together. Liu Xinyou had initiated the Pear Blossom Formation after realizing she had left the Pear Blossom Studio; otherwise, perhaps she could have fought back.
Such an opponent would undoubtedly be a formidable rival at the Pantu Dance Conference. Doubting herself, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, as if it were about to explode. Aware that she couldn't win, she realized that if she forced a confrontation, it would surely lead to mutual destruction. Without further hesitation, she prepared to withdraw but felt her body weaken, unable to muster any strength, leaving her frustrated.
There are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people. Had she known Bai Zhantian was so powerful, she wouldn't have come to this commotion. With her body so uncooperative, if she crashed into the carriage or a tree, her old injuries would not heal, and new ones would surely add to her troubles.
"Showing off."
Just as Xuan Yue lamented her fate, a low chuckle reached her ears, carrying a warm breath and a hint of scattered anger. What had he gotten angry about? Confused, she pondered but couldn't figure it out. After a moment's thought, she convinced herself she must have misheard.
A purple shadow drifted past her. She was surprised to see a man with such agile and ethereal movements, moving as fast as lightning. Hadn't he just been sitting outside the carriage, eyes closed in rest? She hadn't expected him to act because of her.
Lan Yixuan moved, one arm wrapping around Xuan Yue, performing a fluid motion. In mid-air, silver light met the golden light. Bai Zhantian's fierce gaze widened, evidently surprised that Lan Yixuan would intervene.
"Haha."
After the shock, Bai Zhantian laughed loudly, visibly excited. With a horizontal arm blocking, flames surged high around them, and the surrounding trees seemed to catch fire. Xuan Yue leaned against Lan Yixuan, tilting her head back, embodying the same grace and elegance as before, without a hint of panic. How could such a person be angry over someone he had known for only a short time?
Sensing Xuan Yue's gaze, Lan Yixuan lowered his head slightly. Xuan Yue raised an eyebrow and remarked, "What are you staring at?"
Lan Yixuan smiled, tightening his embrace around her.
"Master Lan!"
Bai Zhantian bellowed in anger, clearly incensed by Lan Yixuan's disdain. He pressed down forcefully, bursting forth with the might of thunder.
"Boom!"
With a tremendous roar, the surrounding air seemed to shatter. Green leaves swirled like a waterfall splashing from the Milky Way, appearing almost alive as they struck the surrounding trees. A continuous series of banging sounds echoed as numerous perfect trees suddenly bore countless large and small craters, as if dragons were swimming underground, and debris flew everywhere, like they were about to explode. At some point, a long crack appeared.
With a step on the ground, Xuan Yue turned her head to glance at Lan Yixuan. The jade hairpin fell to the ground, her hair disheveled, but her expression remained normal, showing no signs of injury. She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her head, noticing Lan Yixuan's hand still resting on her waist. Unceremoniously, she slapped it: "Have you had enough? Let go."
Lan Yixuan chuckled, releasing Xuan Yue: "Is this how you treat your savior?"
Xuan Yue held her head high, unwilling to back down: "Did I ask you to save me?"
Turning to look at the chaos around them, she added, "You're ruining the environment."
Under the sunlight, the swords gleamed, their light dazzling and devoid of any blood. But earlier, as they had fought, her eyes hadn't blinked. Lan Yixuan's sword tip had grazed Bai Zhantian's shoulder. Although Bai Zhantian had dodged, he had still sustained a minor injury. That tiny drop of red on the silver sword tip, she certainly hadn't mistaken.
Lan Yixuan didn't reply, brushing off the dust from his clothes. Suddenly, he looked up at Xuan Yue: "Half of your life is mine."
His tone was unexpectedly serious, making Xuan Yue's heart leap. She shot him a glare and waved her hand dismissively: "Sorry, you're a step too late."
Lan Yixuan paused his actions, gazing at her: "My life was long promised to someone else."
"If the Alliance Leader were here, he would certainly be pleased."
Lan Yixuan smiled as he looked toward Bai Zhantian.
"Isn't that so?"
Before Bai Zhantian could respond, Xuan Yue interjected.
"If his own apprentice strikes at a defenseless woman, if this gets out, it wouldn't reflect well on him either."
Though Xuan Yue had lived in the Pear Blossom Studio for years, she was not cut off from the world. Qinghen would tell her tales of the martial world and court affairs every few days. Bai Zhantian was undoubtedly the well-known "Martial Maniac" in the Jianghu.
Bai Zhantian was originally the legitimate grandson of the Bai family, the first family in the State of Chu. His noble status allowed him to practice martial arts from a young age. The old master Bai was fond of his grandson and believed that in times of chaos, one must possess good martial skills. He happened to have connections with the then Martial Alliance Leader, Nian Anba, and entrusted his grandson to him. Little did he expect that after Bai Zhantian learned the skills, his obsession with martial arts led him to continuously challenge others in the Jianghu. While others sought fame and victory, he only sought defeat.
However, Xuan Yue found it strange that someone as outstanding as Lan Yixuan, not inferior to Bai Zhantian, was not mentioned at all by Qinghen. This suggested that Liu Xinyou had intentionally filtered out his news—she wondered why.
Bai Zhantian pointed at Xuan Yue beside Lan Yixuan and said, "Since when did Young Master Lan have a woman by his side?"
His tone dripped with disdain, truly infuriating.
"Prideful and arrogant."
Xuan Yue turned her head away, chin raised, refusing to look at Bai Zhantian. She vowed that one day, he would taste the bitterness of being defeated by a woman.
Lei An and Lei Yun approached, both looking somewhat grim, especially Lei An. He hadn't expected Xuan Yue to recklessly rush in, nor had he anticipated that the young master would act to save that woman.
Lei Yun walked over to Bai Zhantian, standing on tiptoe, and deliberately leaned back: "Are only Bai Gongzi's beautiful women allowed to follow him? Can't our young master have a friend like Miss Xuan Yue?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhantian's eyes sparkled with anger, shooting a glare at Lei Yun.
It was well-known in the Jianghu that the Alliance Leader's beloved daughter, Nian Xiaoyu, was infatuated with him, declaring she would marry no one but him. To prevent Bai Zhantian from being attracted to other women, she followed him everywhere. If it were anyone else, they might have been moved by her sincerity long ago. However, Bai Zhantian had no interest in romantic affairs. To make Nian Xiaoyu give up, he openly stated that unless a woman could defeat him, he would never marry.
He was so formidable that few in the entire Jianghu could rival him, let alone a woman.
"I
"Heard that the representatives of various sects at this martial arts conference are all outstanding young talents, and that the Young Master Xuanyuan will also participate. I have sparred with him before, and his skills are definitely not inferior to mine."
Bai Zhanfeng's eyes immediately lit up.
Lei Yun covered his mouth and laughed, "This martial arts conference is hosted by the former martial arts alliance leader, so Miss Nian will surely attend as well."
"What does it matter to me whether she comes or not?"
If she weren't the master's daughter and a woman, he would have surely knocked her out cold.
"Cold-blooded and heartless, not a real man," Xianyue huffed in annoyance, turning to board the carriage.
With skills on par with Lan Yixuan, he was just another rival competing with her for the Fire Toad. It seemed she needed to recover from her injuries as soon as possible.
When did the Jianghu suddenly have so many talented individuals?
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