Before the newcomer’s figure could even be seen, a long ribbon flew into the great hall, as white as snow and unstained by a single speck of dust. The crowd looked up to see a gracefully built woman lightly stepping on the white ribbon with her bare feet, floating leisurely into the hall.
She wore a gauze dress adorned with ice and snow patterns and held the Floating Snow Sword in her hand. With her beautiful features, she looked to be not even thirty years old.
"Shen Diexin!" Hann Shan barked, his face as dark as stagnant water. "Does your Piaoxue Palace want to interfere in the affairs of my Celestial Thunder Sect?"
"Are you unaware that Lin Cangxue is a disciple of my Piaoxue Palace?" Shen Diexin’s expression was cold, her eyes like frost. "Have you forgotten how during the martial gathering of the Four Sects and Ten Dynasties, those so-called geniuses of your Celestial Thunder Sect were utterly defeated and sent packing by my disciple with a single sword?"
"Hmph, her Martial Soul is shattered, and her Realm cannot advance another half-step. She is no longer the Lin Cangxue of the past. Does the Piaoxue Palace still recognize this disciple?" Hann Shan gritted his teeth. If not for Lin Cangxue back then, his grandson wouldn’t have ended up dead in the Yellow Springs.
"As long as she is in the Piaoxue Palace for a single day, she is a disciple of the Piaoxue Palace for that day. Today, don’t even think about touching a single hair on the Divine General’s Mansion!" Shen Diexin stated categorically.
Hann Shan’s expression turned terrifyingly sinister. The veins on his withered, tightly clenched hands bulged with loud cracks. As he looked at the sword-wielding Shen Diexin standing against him, and the cold, emotionless Array Puppet not far away, the murderous intent in his heart surged to the heavens.
"Are you truly going to set yourself against my Celestial Thunder Sect?" Hann Shan stared at Shen Diexin, speaking ruthlessly. "Even if you are a Third-Level Array Master, if we fight to the death, you will undoubtedly die!"
Shen Diexin let out a light chuckle. With a wave of her delicate hand, dozens of Array Seals suddenly scattered in all directions. An Ice Frost Sword Formation abruptly materialized in the hall, with dozens of chilling longswords pointing directly at Hann Shan. Their piercing, sharp gleam caused the hall’s temperature to plummet.
A Third-Level Array was an existence comparable to the Celestial Element Realm.
In the great hall, Hann Shan’s gaze grew increasingly gloomy. His withered hands clenched tight, betraying his burning rage. An Array Puppet at the Celestial Element Seventh Heaven, the Divine General’s Mansion’s Profound Armor Army, plus Shen Diexin—the forces arrayed against him had far exceeded his prior expectations.
"I will remember what happened today!" Hann Shan spoke through gritted teeth after pondering for a long time. He suppressed the boundless killing intent in his heart, his face full of reluctance. He was only one step away from obtaining the *Thousand Spirits Sword Formation*, yet Shen Diexin had to appear at this exact moment—along with an Array Puppet!
If they fought, he definitely wouldn’t be their match. Having sacrificed a disciple without gaining any benefits left him deeply dissatisfied, but he had no choice but to retreat!
"In the future, pray you never fall into my hands, or you will truly understand a fate worse than death!" Hann Shan spat out, his hatred unappeased. Then, his figure floated up as he grabbed Ling Huangyi and left the Divine General’s Mansion.
Inside the hall, Lin Beichen and Lin Huang both let out a long sigh of relief watching Hann Shan leave. If he had been dead set on fighting it out just now, they really wouldn’t know what the consequences would have been.
"Elder Diexin, it’s been a long time! We have you to thank for your help today, otherwise that old scoundrel Hann Shan wouldn’t have let matters rest so easily!" Lin Beichen said.
"Mansion Master, you are too polite. Although Sects do not participate in secular affairs, it was the Celestial Thunder Sect that broke the rules first. Besides, if I really stood by and did nothing, that little girl would have turned the world upside down," Shen Diexin smiled coldly.
"Elder Diexin, has my sister... returned?" Lin Huang asked cautiously from the side.
Looking at Lin Huang, the smile on Shen Diexin’s face instantly froze. Staring at him with a frosty expression, she said, "Brat, you still have the nerve to show your face in front of me! If it weren’t for your reckless behavior back then, how could Cangxue’s Martial Soul have shattered, causing her Realm to drop to the Earth Element Second Heaven!"
Shen Diexin’s delicate fingers squeezed until they turned white, and the Floating Snow Sword in her hand emitted waves of chilling air. She wished nothing more than to pierce Lin Huang to death with a single thrust!
Lin Cangxue was a disciple she had meticulously cultivated, and the most talented disciple in the Piaoxue Palace, if not the entire East Spirit Realm, in the past three hundred years. Just for this worthless brother of hers, she had ruined her life’s path of Martial Arts.
"I..." Lin Huang opened his mouth but was left speechless.
"You what?" Shen Diexin’s eyes shot out a cold glare. "If you had just properly played the role of a wealthy playboy in the Imperial City, it would have been fine. Why did you have to drag Cangxue down? Do you know how high-spirited she used to be? All the geniuses of the Four Great Sects over the past three hundred years combined couldn’t match her! And do you know how much ridicule and verbal abuse she has suffered in the two years since her Martial Soul shattered?"
"I’ve failed my sister!" Lin Huang clenched his fists and said, feeling incredibly suppressed. It was as if a massive boulder was blocking his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Since childhood, Lin Huang and Lin Cangxue had no parents, only Lin Beichen by their side. However, he was always too busy. Therefore, the siblings practically relied on each other for survival since they were young. They shared the same blanket, hiding underneath it to talk about what they imagined their parents looked like.
They would say that their mother must be incredibly beautiful, and their father must be a great hero...
They ate from the same bowl, and Lin Huang was always picky, refusing to eat this or that.
They would play pranks on Lin Beichen together.
They would draw large turtles on the faces of the father and son in the Literature Palace.
Perhaps because they didn’t have parents by their side, Lin Cangxue, as the older sister, always appeared much more mature than Lin Huang. Like a fierce big sister, she protected Lin Huang everywhere they went.
And Lin Huang was just a little shadow following her around. Every time he was bullied, he would holler, "My sister is Lin Cangxue!"
When they reached the age to practice Martial Arts, Lin Huang said he didn’t like Cultivation. It was too bitter, too tiring, required waking up early and sleeping late every day, and was no fun at all.
The very next day, Lin Cangxue went to practice Martial Arts.
At the time, she was just a twelve-year-old girl. She ran into Lin Beichen’s study, pouted, and said to him, "Grandpa, since I’m cultivating in the family, don’t make my little brother do it. I’ll protect him in the future."
Later on, Lin Cangxue gradually revealed her powerful talent in Martial Arts, became famous throughout the Great Xia Dynasty, and was accepted into the Piaoxue Palace!
...
In the great hall, Lin Huang’s expression was bitter. Every time he thought of Lin Cangxue, his heart felt exceptionally awful. If it weren’t for his reckless behavior back then, how could Lin Cangxue have fallen from her pedestal?
To become a genius with broken wings.
"You actually know you failed Cangxue? Is knowing just something you say with your mouth?" Shen Diexin was unforgiving. "Look at what you’ve done these past few years! Are you very proud of reaching the Human Element Sixth Heaven at the age of sixteen? Do you know what Realm your sister was at when she was sixteen? The Half-Step Celestial Element!
"Do you know what kind of concept a sixteen-year-old at the Half-Step Celestial Element is? What kind of talent that is?
"By eighteen, she would have had the chance to step into the Martial Marquis Realm. By twenty-two, she could have dominated the entire East Spirit Land. Even Xuanyuan Tibing, who ranks first on the East Spirit List, wouldn’t be her match!
"But Cangxue, because of you—her worthless little brother—ruined her entire life! Her entire life!" Shen Diexin was full of rage, radiating a freezing chill from head to toe. Her gaze pierced toward Lin Huang like two sharp swords.
"Elder Diexin, please calm your anger. Don’t ruin your health over this," Lin Beichen smoothed things over from the side. "Since Elder Diexin has just entered the Imperial City, you probably don’t have a place to stay yet. Why not reside in Cangxue’s little courtyard?"
Shen Diexin snorted. After giving Lin Huang a fierce glare, she finally turned and left...
"Elder Diexin..." Lin Huang suddenly spoke up.
"I will definitely revive my sister’s Martial Soul!" he promised earnestly and solemnly, his fists clenched tight.
The source of Lin Cangxue’s downfall started because of him. In his past life, Lin Huang was powerless to help, but in this life, no matter what, he would protect Lin Cangxue. This was his responsibility.
Since they didn’t have the shelter of their parents, Lin Huang could only rely on his unceasing efforts to once again prop up the sky for the fallen Lin Cangxue.
"Even the Supreme Elder of the Piaoxue Palace couldn’t solve this problem, and you think you can?" Shen Diexin snorted disdainfully. "If you truly want to make it up to Cangxue, then work hard on your Cultivation. Be a man, and trample every single person who ever mocked your sister under your feet!"