That Cut Deep, Bro

Heaven Severing Sect, Heavenly Fox Mountain.

Inside a magnificent palace wreathed in immortal mist, a young girl of around ten, about Yue Chan's age, sat cross-legged in cultivation.

She wore a black gauze dress that contrasted sharply with her jade-white skin. Graceful and exquisitely beautiful, she looked like a sprite.

Though young, the girl had delicate features touched with intelligence and mischief. Her dark brows curved above lively eyes, and she possessed an otherworldly beauty. Once grown, she would surely be a beauty capable of bringing kingdoms to ruin.

Suddenly, the girl awoke from seclusion. With a wave of her gleaming white hand, the doors opened, and a maid with six fox tails entered.

"Holy Maiden, something major happened in the Spirit World, and it concerns you," the fox-tailed maid reported, her fluttering eyes brimming with seductive charm.

"Oh? What happened?" Demoness asked, her voice clear and enchanting, like heavenly music.

"The Heaven Mending Sect..." The fox-tailed maid recounted everything that had happened at the Sikong Family in Qianfeng City in the Spirit World.

Demoness froze for a moment, then chuckled, her every glance captivating enough to intoxicate the heart. "Interesting. I've long heard that the Heaven Mending Sect had a First Generation hidden away. That must be him."

"Holy Maiden, you must be careful. That First Generation from the Heaven Mending Sect is no ordinary person. He reached the heavenly passage extreme realm before turning nine, and his physical body is even more formidable. He defeated Sikong Ming without using a Precious Art," the fox-tailed maid warned.

"So Little Chan-Chan has gained an incredible junior brother. He's even given her the confidence to challenge me in the Spirit World." Demoness blinked her mischievous eyes and rested her chin on her hand in thought.

She was considering how to respond to this affair-or rather, how to deal with Yue Chan and her junior brother.

Beside her, the fox-tailed maid suggested, "Holy Maiden, I think you can ignore them for now. Focusing on improving your cultivation is more important."

"No. Wouldn't that make it look as though I'm afraid of them? I, Demoness, can lose to anyone, but never to Yue Chan." Demoness shook her head, her eyes darting and her pearly teeth gleaming. She looked lively and adorable.

"But..." The fox-tailed girl was worried. As far as she knew, her holy maiden had only recently opened nine heavenly passages. How could she possibly be his match now?

Demoness smiled sweetly, the corners of her mouth lifting with impish mischief. "Who said I was going to challenge them right now? Let them wait. Since Little Chan-Chan has her junior brother helping her, why can't I invite someone else?"

"Holy Maiden, you mean to..."

"Exactly!" Demoness rose and brushed back her glossy black hair. Her large, lively eyes were full of laughter as she walked gracefully outside.

In Qianfeng City, a boy and a girl departed under everyone's gaze. They could hardly wait here forever. Now that they had issued the challenge, their opponent would respond if she wished to accept.

But shortly after the two left, the Spirit World erupted into an uproar, drawing the attention of numerous factions.

The Heaven Mending Sect had produced a formidable prodigy who had swept through a sizable clan with physical strength alone, beating its chosen genius until he had no power to fight back.

"Could he be the First Generation the Heaven Mending Sect has been hiding...?"

"Even if he isn't, with his potential and talent, would he be any worse than those people?"

"Incredible. The Heaven Mending Sect's holy maiden of this generation is hailed as a reincarnated True Immortal, and now they've produced another extraordinarily gifted person. They're destined to flourish!" everyone marveled.

At the same time, upon reflection, they realized that this era seemed to have an especially large number of geniuses.

There were Li Yuncong, the First Generation of Heavenfall Province, Feng Wu of Heavenly Immortal Province, Zhen Gu of the Spirit Clan, Lightning Son, and others. Almost every major province had a First Generation, some even more than one. They sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, shining like a gathering of stars.

Of course, that was not to say none had existed before. Beings such as First Generations were uncommon, but not excessively rare. After all, the Three Thousand Provinces were vast, and every era had its share. There simply had never been as many as there were now.

It was as though a golden age was arriving, with all manner of geniuses crowding into a single era and young supremes emerging together-not to mention those ancient freaks lying hidden.

"After prosperity comes the final curtain..."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd let out an untimely, sorrowful sigh.

It was as though everything would swiftly decay amid its splendor, the great age withering away, the entire world sinking into darkness, the universe shattering, and war raging without end!

In the Purple Bamboo Forest, the two returned to their physical bodies, which remained exactly where they had been before they left, unchanged.

"Junior brother, I never knew I mattered so much to you." Yue Chan's large, limpid eyes widened, ripples of emotion flowing through them.

"No, no, no. Little Yue-Yue, you're overthinking it. If it weren't for the World-Breaking Talisman, I would never have said those nauseating things. Urgh..." Lin Fan pretended to vomit.

Yue Chan: "..."

Damn it, that cut deep, bro. Can't you just let me be happy for a moment?

When there's something to gain, you call me senior sister. When there isn't, it's Little Yue-Yue every other breath. You really live up to that saying about pulling out and becoming heartless...

"No girl is going to like you if you act like this," Yue Chan finally said, frowning slightly.

"That's fine. As long as pretty older sisters like me, I'm good. At worst, I'll just snatch someone in the future. Saves so much trouble, and I won't even have to give her my heart," Lin Fan replied, utterly unconcerned.

After all, life was precious, love was worth still more, but for the sake of freedom, both could be cast aside. Thus, the first sword strike on the path of cultivation must sever the beloved!

"Right, this junior brother is beyond saving!" Yue Chan rubbed her gleaming white forehead, utterly speechless.

"Oh, right. Settle the bill. I did hard labor here, so no buying on credit. Otherwise, I'll... heh heh heh..." Lin Fan rubbed his hands together and gave a wicked smile. His meaning could not have been clearer.

"Hmph, here." Yue Chan's expression stiffened. With a pang of pain, she tossed him a divine talisman. Now she was penniless again.

Not that she seemed to have ever been rich. Heaven only knew how many treasures she had lost over the years since meeting this fellow.

She had even lost the divine sword she always used, and still had not gotten it back. As a result, she did not have a single decent treasure on her.

"Thank you, boss. Come again next time, and I can give you a discount." With a money-grubber's delight, Lin Fan took the World-Breaking Divine Talisman and tucked it into his robes, feeling positively blissful.

Once used, this sort of talisman could carry someone from one province to another. Even a Heavenly God would have trouble tracking them.

"Go play by yourself. I'm going back into seclusion. Once I break through to ten heavenly passages, I'll come reclaim everything." Yue Chan stamped her foot in anger and hurried away.

But after leaving this pure land, she began smiling again. All in all, she was still in a good mood. At least she had dealt a blow to her sworn enemy, Demoness.

Yet when Yue Chan's great-uncle saw her, he found it strange. "Chan'er, didn't you go rolling in the mud today?"

"What do you mean, rolling?" Yue Chan asked suspiciously.

"Isn't being the holy maiden so stressful that you find somewhere to roll around and vent your feelings every so often?" her great-uncle said.

Several times, he had seen Yue Chan go out and return covered in dirt. Yet this time she had not, and she was even grinning foolishly. Could her mental illness have become serious?

"No, I'd better speak to the sect master and have you resign as holy maiden. Doesn't the sect have a First Generation? Let him become the holy son instead," her great-uncle muttered to himself.

At his words, dark lines covered Yue Chan's forehead, and she clenched her delicate little fists. She so wanted to punch her wildly imaginative great-uncle right in the forehead!

She cared deeply about purity and holiness. How could she possibly go rolling in the mud? It was only because that infuriating fellow beat her up every time.

But when she thought of Lin Fan's strength, and what would happen if he really were made the holy son... Her face flushed slightly, and her heart fell into turmoil.

Oh no, being the holy maiden really has made her go silly. Not only is she laughing for no reason, but she's even blushing. Yue Chan's great-uncle felt his heart lurch, suddenly convinced something was terribly wrong.