“My flying sword!!”
This time, Lin Xuan was truly on the verge of tears. That was a flying sword infused with innate divine lightning, a supreme treasure rarely seen in a thousand years.
If he had obtained it and absorbed and refined the innate divine lightning within, his strength would have increased dramatically. In less than two years, he could have successfully entered the Foundation Establishment Realm.
It had been within his grasp, and now this wretch had destroyed it just like that?!
What a waste, an unforgivable waste! If only it had been carefully comprehended, there was a great chance it could even enhance one’s spiritual root aptitude. And yet he destroyed it!!!
This useless trash was trying to anger him to death!
Lin Xuan ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. But he still had to maintain his harmless persona. He did not dare curse aloud. His eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face.
“Jiang Han, what are you doing?!” The crowd was in disbelief.
Jiang Han had always endured silently. No matter how they beat or scolded him before, he never dared resist. He would even force a smile and never utter a single cry of pain.
But what was wrong with him today? He dared to defy his master in public? And even destroyed Junior Brother’s flying sword?
“Wretch! You deserve to die!!” Third Senior Sister Lu Jingxue saw Lin Xuan crying pitifully, and her reason was instantly drowned by fury. She raised her hand and struck Jiang Han, sending him flying.
“That belonged to Xiao Xuan. What right do you have to destroy it?!”
Jiang Han staggered and crashed heavily to the ground. His face turned deathly pale.
“Pah!” Jiang Han spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to push himself up from the floor.
“What do you mean it belonged to Lin Xuan? Which of your eyes saw that it was his?”
Lu Jingxue froze. She indeed had no evidence proving it was Lin Xuan’s, but Junior Brother was so obedient. If he said Jiang Han stole it, he surely would not lie.
“I don’t care. A worthless trash like you, with such shallow fortune, how could you possibly obtain such a treasure?”
“Xiao Xuan’s luck has always been excellent. He never lacks magic treasures or pills. Only he is qualified to possess a flying sword like that.”
“If you didn’t steal it, there’s no way you could have gotten such a treasure!”
“Lin Xuan has good luck? Hahaha, pah!” Jiang Han burst into laughter and spat another mouthful of blood onto the ground.
“I’d love to see just how good your luck is. If you can call me grandfather once, then I’ll believe your nonsense.”
Everyone was stunned. Were these words something a direct disciple of the sect master should say?
Heavenly Dominion Sect was one of the five great sects in the cultivation world. Everyone present was a figure of status.
They prided themselves on being refined and graceful, as beautiful as immortals. Whoever met them treated them with courtesy. When had they ever heard such crude language?
“Vulgar! Disgusting!”
“You are beyond redemption!”
Master Ji Yuchan, who had always been gentle and fond of cleanliness, trembled with anger.
“You evil disciple! How have I taught you all these years? You have no manners, no sense of propriety. I should never have brought you back!”
“Taught me? Hahaha, you’re not afraid of being struck by lightning saying that?” Jiang Han sneered.
“Aside from bringing me back to the sect, have you ever taught me even a single day?”
“I was only five years old back then. You left me alone on the mountain and disappeared. I survived by chewing wild vegetables every day. If I hadn’t been lucky enough to find a fruit tree, I would have starved to death long ago.”
“I climbed that mountain for two months before reaching the peak. Each of you despised my ragged clothes and filthy appearance. You threw me outside and refused to let me enter.”
“If I hadn’t found a half-collapsed cave dwelling to hide in, I would have frozen to death out there.”
“As for cultivation techniques, I only obtained one by chance from a kind outer disciple. I exchanged it with spirit herbs and fruits I had saved for a long time.”
“No one guided my cultivation. I had to figure everything out bit by bit. If my life hadn’t been tough, I would have long since exploded from spiritual energy backlash and died.”
Ji Yuchan was stunned. Only now did she realize she had never truly cared about Jiang Han or how he cultivated.
“All the cultivation resources I’ve used over these years were gathered by myself from countless mountains. I traded heavenly materials and earthly treasures for them. Others thought I was just a poor rogue cultivator. Who would have imagined I was the direct disciple of Heavenly Dominion Sect’s sect master?”
“Enough! Shut your mouth!” Ji Yuchan felt her authority being challenged and shouted loudly.
“No matter what, I am your master. What kind of attitude is this?!”
“Even if everything you said is true, aren’t you living perfectly well now?”
“I did all of that to temper you. It was for your own good.”
“Look at yourself now. You show no respect for your elders and act lawlessly. Do you even regard me as your master?”
“Heh.” Jiang Han let out a cold laugh. “I called you Master for thirteen years. But did you ever regard me as your disciple?”
Ji Yuchan’s expression darkened. She had indeed never paid much attention to this disciple.
But so what? Ji Yuchan exploded in anger and said, “I am your master. It’s not your place to point fingers at how I act!”
“Master, please don’t blame Senior Brother. He only wanted to break through his bottleneck. I’m fine. At worst, Senior Brother can find another flying sword to compensate me,” Lin Xuan said with reddened eyes.
“It’s all my fault for being too weak. Otherwise, my flying sword wouldn’t have been taken, and Senior Brother wouldn’t have angered Master.”
Jiang Han sneered inwardly. This scheming little green tea was calculating perfectly, smearing him while trying to make him fetch another treasure. Dream on.
“Xiao Xuan is still the obedient one.” Ji Yuchan gently patted Lin Xuan’s head, then turned and angrily rebuked Jiang Han.
“Look how sensible Xiao Xuan is. Even at a time like this, he’s still speaking up for you.”
“And yet you dared to steal his flying sword. I must have been blind to bring back such a heartless wretch.”
Lu Jingxue looked at Jiang Han with disgust and said, “Master, since things have come to this, why not expel this wretch from the sect and make him search for another flying sword infused with innate divine lightning for Xiao Xuan?”
A flash of joy crossed Lin Xuan’s face, and he instinctively fanned the flames. “Third Senior Sister, don’t drive Senior Brother away. Although he often steals treasures from the sect and even shattered Master’s favorite Dragon Pattern Pendant, he surely didn’t mean it. His cultivation is so low. If he leaves the sect, how will he survive outside?”
Ji Yuchan’s face darkened. That Dragon Pattern Pendant had been crafted from high-grade ten-thousand-year cold jade. She had used it to suppress distracting thoughts, yet Jiang Han had smashed it.
What angered her most was that after being caught, Jiang Han had stubbornly refused to admit fault. She had nearly developed a heart demon from rage and had ultimately vented her anger by knocking down two levels of his cultivation realm.
“Xiao Xuan, stop speaking for him. This evil disciple has committed a grave offense. This time, I will not tolerate him.”
Ji Yuchan’s gaze turned icy as she said, “We’ll do as Jingxue suggested. Jiang Han, get out and find a treasure infused with innate divine lightning. Only when you find one may you return!”
A surge of joy rose in Jiang Han’s heart. He had been worrying about how to escape, and now the opportunity had come so quickly.
“Fine. I’ll leave right now. If I can’t find such a treasure, I will never return.”
Suppressing his excitement, Jiang Han turned with a dark expression and strode out swiftly.
Ji Yuchan felt annoyed. She had expected Jiang Han to be reluctant to leave the sect’s superior conditions and cause a huge scene.
She had even prepared to personally discipline him. Yet he left without hesitation. Did he truly not want to stay here?
How had she wronged this wretch? She told him to leave and he left? He didn’t even leave her any dignity!
Lu Jingxue sneered and said, “Master, look at him. His face looks so ugly he’s about to cry, yet he pretends to be eager to leave.”
“If you ask me, he can’t bear to go. He’s just putting on a show, waiting for Master to call him back.”
Second Senior Sister Liu Hanyue said mockingly, “Third Sister is right. He definitely can’t bear to leave.”
“Heavenly Dominion Sect is anchored by a top-grade spirit vein and surrounded by five high-grade spirit veins. The spiritual energy here is far richer than outside. Within ten days, he’ll be crying and begging to return.”
Ji Yuchan listened and found it reasonable. Her heart relaxed somewhat as she said, “Let me make this clear first. No matter how he begs you this time, none of you may let him return.”
“Especially you, Xiao Xuan. You have the softest heart. You can’t even bear to harm a stray dog by the roadside. But this time, no matter how pitiful he acts, you must not allow him back up the mountain. Do you understand?”
Lin Xuan was already overjoyed inside. Upon hearing this, he immediately put on a worried expression and said, “Yes, Master. I will obey your words. No matter how Senior Brother begs, I will not allow him back up the mountain.”
Ji Yuchan nodded in satisfaction. “Xiao Xuan is still the obedient one. That wretch has grown increasingly lawless lately. This time, I must properly discipline him.”
She said so, yet for some reason, as she watched Jiang Han’s departing figure, an inexplicable unease stirred in her heart. Her thoughts became chaotic, faint signs of a heart demon beginning to form.