At Qilin Cliff on Kunlun Mountain stood the Daoist sanctuary of the Three Pure Ones.
It was also one of the finest blessed lands and grotto-heavens on Kunlun Mountain.
But at that moment, the air was thick with tension.
Daoist Ci Hang held the Pure Glazed Vase and looked down at Bixiao.
His brows knitted together, and his tone carried the preachy air typical of the Chan Sect.
"Junior Sister Bixiao, this is the Daoist sanctuary of the Three Pure Ones, a place for quiet cultivation."
"Your reckless rampaging and mischief may only disturb the Spirit Beasts."
"But if you offend our elders, you'll bring shame upon Martial Uncle Tongtian!"
"Our Chan Sect believes in following Heaven's will and acting in accordance with reason, observing the rules at all times."
"How can you be so utterly ignorant of propriety? You're driving me mad!"
Bixiao had always been hot-tempered. How could she put up with such passive-aggressive remarks?
Her brows shot up, and she pointed her sword at him, shouting angrily.
"Cihang, you neither man nor woman—stop trying to crush me with your grand principles!"
"I'm just looking around my master's sanctuary. What gives you the right to lecture me?"
"And you! You're always acting so high and mighty, showing off that lousy bottle of yours!"
Their argument wasn't quiet, and soon several streaks of light came flying over from nearby.
The first to arrive was a lazy-looking young man in a robe patterned with the Eight Trigrams.
It was Grand Master Xuandu of the Human Teachings.
He had been gathering herbs nearby and came to take a look when he heard the commotion.
Soon after, Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun of the Chan Sect and Golden Spirit Holy Mother of the Interception Sect also descended from the clouds.
"Looks like Junior Sister Bixiao and Cihang. What are they arguing about?"
Wenshu knitted his brows, displeasure flashing in his eyes.
"These Jie Sect Disciples are getting more and more unruly."
Golden Spirit Holy Mother's expression turned cold.
She flashed over to Bixiao's side.
Her stance made it clear she meant to protect her.
Seeing that more onlookers were gathering, Ci Hang felt his face burning with shame.
His expression darkened completely.
A powerful pressure, befitting a late-stage Golden Immortal, burst from Ci Hang and sent the surrounding spiritual energy surging.
"You're utterly incorrigible! Today, I'll teach you a proper lesson on behalf of Third Martial Uncle!"
Golden Spirit Holy Mother sensed trouble.
Bixiao had only recently broken through to the Golden Immortal Realm, and her foundation was still shallow.
Ci Hang, on the other hand, had spent years cultivating in the Golden Immortal Realm.
He also had a spiritual treasure bestowed upon him by Yuanshi Tianzun.
If they fought, Bixiao would definitely be at a disadvantage!
"Junior Brother Cihang, there's no need to take it this far..."
Golden Spirit Holy Mother had just started forward to stop them.
But Bixiao moved faster!
"You want to teach me a lesson? You're not worthy!"
Bixiao didn't retreat. Instead, an excited, almost feverish look flashed in her eyes.
She brought out the ancient-looking sword Zhao Gongming had given her.
There was no flashy surge of magical power, nor did she summon any celestial omens.
She simply raised her sword and swung it straight at Ci Hang!
"Foolishness!"
Manjushri sneered from nearby, his eyes full of contempt.
"She dares to clash head-on with Junior Brother Cihang's Glazed Vase using such a worthless weapon?"
"Bixiao is just asking to humiliate herself and suffer for it!"
Golden Spirit Holy Mother's heart leaped.
This is bad! Why is this girl so reckless?
Grand Master Xuandu, who had been watching from the sidelines, sighed helplessly.
He was just about to raise his hand and send out a wave of magical power to separate them.
"You two, please, don't—"
But before he could finish, a heart-rending cry, brimming with emotion, abruptly cut him off.
Bixiao, who had been swinging her sword downward, suddenly had reddened eyes.
Her expression turned anguished, as if she had suffered the greatest injustice imaginable.
She shouted at Ci Hang at the top of her lungs.
"Unfilial Son!!!"
"Your father's heart is breaking!!!"
Her cry was earth-shattering, piercing the clouds and shattering stone.
Xuandu's hand froze in midair. He was completely dumbfounded.
Manjushri, who had been looking forward to the spectacle, nearly choked on his own spit, his eyes bulging.
Even Golden Spirit Holy Mother stumbled, her face full of bewilderment.
What was going on?
If they were fighting, then fight. Why start insulting each other?
And why choose such a... family-relation joke?
"Seeking death!" Manjushri sneered inwardly.
"He dares insult Cihang like that? Cihang will surely fly into a rage."
"Bixiao's probably about to get beaten half to death!"
Ci Hang himself was burning with rage.
He was about to activate the Pure Glazed Vase and suppress this presumptuous girl.
But in the very next instant,
an indescribable, irresistible force of bizarre rules descended upon him.
Ci Hang was horrified to discover that the magical power in his body had instantly frozen, and his body was no longer under his control!
As everyone watched in utter shock,
Daoist Ci Hang, who had been standing high and mighty, suddenly vanished and reappeared before Bixiao.
Then—
Thud!
Ci Hang slammed both knees onto the ground, his back ramrod straight.
His hands shot up over his head, palms facing each other.
Clap!
His hands came together with a crisp sound.
Kneeling on the ground, Daoist Ci Hang pressed his hands together with perfect precision and utmost devotion...
And caught Bixiao's descending sword between his palms.
100% Barehanded Blade Catch: achieved!
A deathly silence fell.
It was as if the wind on Kunlun Mountain had stopped.
Bixiao held her sword-swinging pose and stared at Ci Hang, kneeling before her.
She had been mentally prepared, but seeing it with her own eyes still sent a shiver of satisfaction through her.
Ci Hang, meanwhile, knelt with the sword clamped between his hands.
He looked up at Bixiao, completely dumbfounded.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Why am I kneeling?
The two of them stared at each other.
It was probably the most absurdly awkward moment since the Primordial Era began.
The three onlookers felt their entire worldview collapse.
Grand Master Xuandu's mouth hung open, and the Whisk in his hand nearly slipped free.
His thoughts raced.
"Good heavens... Ci Hang actually knelt?"
"And so readily, so skillfully?"
"Could it be... could it be that Ci Hang is Junior Sister Bixiao's long-lost..."
"Otherwise, how do you explain him prostrating himself the moment she called him an unfilial son?"
"There must be some great karmic connection here!"
Meanwhile, the contempt on Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun's face had turned to horror.
He stared at Ci Hang, kneeling as he caught the sword, and screamed inwardly.
"Cihang, what are you doing, Cihang?!"
"Why are you kneeling?!"
"That's Bixiao of the Interception Sect!"
"Where's your dignity? Your pride? Have you cultivated yourself stupid?!"
"What is wrong with you?!"
But the most entertaining reaction belonged to Golden Spirit Holy Mother.
First she was shocked, then her expression gradually turned strange.
Finally, a fierce spark of gossip lit up in her eyes.
She looked at the sword in Bixiao's hand, then at Ci Hang, kneeling ramrod straight, and began to wonder.
"Something's off. Very, very off."
"Bixiao just called him 'your father'..."
"I heard Senior Brother Gongming gave her that sword..."
"If Ci Hang really is Bixiao's unfilial son, then the child's real father..."
Zhao Gongming's dashing, resolute face appeared in Golden Spirit Holy Mother's mind.
Then she glanced at Ci Hang, whose complexion was fair and delicate.
"Good heavens... Senior Brother Gongming, you've been hiding a lot!"
And so the scene became utterly frozen in awkwardness, caught between everyone's wild imaginings and Ci Hang's bafflement.
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