Jiang Xidai left the Shasheng Sect, subconsciously heading in the direction of Wugou Mountain.
But just as she lifted her foot, she forcefully pulled herself back.
What could I do there?
Right now, she had no desire to see Yan Huirou and that idiot.
But she had never had any friends, and she couldn’t speak her heart to the disciples in her sect.
After racking her brain, she came to the rather pathetic realization that the only person she could still speak her heart to was Yan Huirou.
Jiang Xidai frowned for a moment, then her brow relaxed.
Although she had no friends, she had plenty of enemies.
An enemy, she supposed, could also be considered a person.
Having figured this out, Jiang Xidai made her way to the Haoran Sect.
She remembered that the young Sect Master named Xie Minting had decent cultivation. Although she suffered from her youth and couldn’t compare to her, she was at least passable.
Sect Master Xie never would have dreamed that such a calamity would suddenly befall her while she was in a meeting with others in her sect’s main hall.
She was just speaking about Jiang Xidai, and all the elders were silent, suffering from a major headache.
And at that very moment, a huge fluctuation came from the sect’s barrier.
A faint female voice drifted in from outside the hall doors. “Speaking ill of someone behind their back? As I see it, this righteous Immortal Alliance is nothing special.”
Everyone was shocked and looked outside.
Her black hair was tied with a jade ring, her robes a striking red, and she was still holding that embroidered umbrella—the demon lord who had just been vividly described in the records of her countless crimes had now appeared before their very eyes.
She didn’t even hide. She had broken the barrier openly and honorably, as casually as if she were strolling through her own courtyard at the Shasheng Sect.
In truth, this had always been Jiang Xidai’s style. When facing a bunch of small fries, she couldn’t be bothered to hide.
Like a tiger passing through the forest, all other beasts would tremble. No matter how bloodthirsty and infamous she was, others could only hide from her.
Gazing at the group of cowards, Jiang Xidai leaned against the door of the Haoran Sect’s hall, her eyes lowered as she sized them up one by one, finally settling on Xie Minting.
“You.”
She lifted her A Ten-foot Soft Red sword, pointed at the person, and said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “Come back to the Shasheng Sect and play with me.”
“…”
Xie Minting had been holding her sword, on high alert. Hearing these words, her righteous and proper face stiffened, showing an expression of disbelief.
The surrounding elders also fell silent, exchanging glances before looking at their Sect Master with difficulty.
Jiang Xidai was completely oblivious.
Because Wen Xianyin often recruited all sorts of beauties to please the Sect Master, most mortal women would just cry in fear upon hearing the demon lord’s reputation, and very few came willingly.
Later, when they settled in the Shasheng Sect and found it more peaceful than the outside world, they gradually lost the desire to return, so these stories never made their way back to the outside.
Besides, the demoness was as beautiful as a peach blossom, charming and graceful, her beauty completely unruly. When the world saw her, there were bound to be some prejudices.
Over time, the Shasheng Sect master’s reputation for being fond of women and utterly debauched became as widespread as her crimes of mass murder.
Finally, one person couldn’t hold back. “Absurd! How could our Sect Master… with you…”
“I don’t feel like killing anyone today. I’ll just send her back when I’m done.”
“As expected, trash talks too much.”
Jiang Xidai was already in a bad mood, and now her patience was wearing thin.
She swept her gaze over them as if they were ants, pulled a long red silk ribbon from her Storage Ring, and threw it with a flick of her sleeve.
The soft object, like a spiritual snake, wrapped around Xie Minting’s waist, about to drag her out.
However, Xie Minting had been waiting for this moment.
Instead of retreating, she advanced, flying toward Jiang Xidai.
The red ribbon couldn’t retract fast enough to keep up with Xie Minting’s approach, and it slackened, preventing Jiang Xidai from using her strength.
Jiang Xidai was slightly surprised.
Xie Minting’s expression was cold as she raised her hand and struck at her with her sword.
“You’re actually not afraid to fight me one-on-one?”
After a moment of surprise, Jiang Xidai composed herself, deftly sidestepped, and with a lift of her wrist, her embroidered umbrella crashed against the heavy sword, sending the person flying back with a clang.
Xie Minting: “There are always wins and losses in a fight. The worst that can happen is death. What is there to fear?”
The web of her thumb was numb from the impact of Jiang Xidai’s umbrella, and she was forced back several steps. She secretly rubbed it. Although she wasn’t one to belittle herself, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: at their level of strength, a single move could reveal the gap between them.
That flick of Jiang Xidai’s wrist had been so steady, and without even a change in her expression, she had forced her back a great distance.
But strangely, the woman had only blocked this one strike and made no further move to attack, just standing there quietly, looking down on her.
The red lips under the umbrella’s edge parted. “Again.”
Xie Minting’s tensed forearm relaxed slightly. She wasn’t an overly rash person, and upon careful observation, she found it strange.
If Jiang Xidai were determined to kill, she wouldn’t have left such a long gap between moves.
Xie Minting asked, “Jiang Xidai, you came uninvited. What is your true intention?”
“Looking for someone to spar with.”
The red-robed woman still looked down on her. “What are you asking for?”
“Do you have the right to refuse? If you don’t, then die.”
As soon as her voice fell, the embroidered umbrella floated up and, with a sharp spin, the hidden weapons on its edge, tempered with profound cultivation, shot out like a dragon spitting pearls.
The sound of whistling filled the air—
Xie Minting blocked with her sword, hastily executing three or four sword forms.
The hidden weapons were like miniature swords, thirty-six in total, each one striking her sword with incredible sharpness.
Each blade was faintly connected to a red, thread-like spiritual energy, controlled and shot at her from all directions, making it impossible to defend against.
Under the absolute suppression of cultivation, technique was of little use, and Xie Minting struggled to cope.
She failed to block the last miniature sword, and it pierced her palm with precision. The small blade, like an embroidery needle, was tied in a knot by the red spiritual energy and hung by her wrist, jingling.
She frowned in pain, her expression not changing much, but her forehead was covered in sweat.
In an instant, another sword shot toward her like a flying needle!
Xie Minting quickly turned her head to dodge, and the object left a long, narrow gash on her cheek.
“Useless little thing. You can barely withstand a few of my moves. It’s not very satisfying.”
Xie Minting had no time to ponder what madness had possessed Jiang Xidai. Still catching her breath, all she could see before her was a sea of red sword shadows, overwhelming her completely.
The elders of the Haoran Sect, after a great internal struggle, couldn’t just watch their young and promising Sect Master be killed by that demoness. So, with the resolve to die, they rushed out of the hall to join the battle.
But to their great surprise, as the two fought, they moved further and further away from the sect, their two figures like shooting stars flying into the distance.
All that was left was an urgent message from Xie Minting: “Don’t follow. Guard the sect.”
High in the sky, the long wind made their robes flutter loudly.
This was not the first time Xie Minting had faced Jiang Xidai, but it was the first time she had exchanged so many moves with her.
The two fought back and forth, the glint of their blades flashing, the sound of whistling filling the air, accompanied by the howl of the fierce wind, as swift as a sudden downpour.
There was no time to think, the wind roared in her ears, and the scene before her was a blur.
Jiang Xidai’s expression was cold. Although she had held back a level of cultivation, she was not gentle.
All her excess hostility was vented through her sword moves, each one drawing blood, without mercy.
Three or four strands of Xie Minting’s hair had been cut, and her cheeks were covered in scratches.
She blocked the woman’s swift and versatile sword style, a coldness at her neck as another sword thrust toward her.
A flash of amazement crossed Xie Minting’s eyes, then it turned to solemnity.
Such unparalleled strength was likely unmatched in the entire cultivation world.
Although everyone knew that no one could handle Jiang Xidai, to truly experience it firsthand was still a bit shocking.
This set of sword techniques was truly unique, one move connecting to the next, seemingly random yet very methodical, with almost no openings.
Jiang Xidai only attacked and never defended. This cold-blooded, fierce aura made one subconsciously shrink back in fear.
Not to mention her strength, just facing that almost tangible killing intent, few could remain completely unaffected by their own fear.
Xie Minting felt no fear in her heart and had already held on for an extremely long time. She watched as the light in the sky waned, fading into the setting sun.
Another clang.
The A Ten-foot Soft Red sword finally rested against Xie Minting’s chin, reflecting the crimson afterglow of the sunset.
The storm of blows ceased.
Jiang Xidai pointed at her, her expression indifferent. “You lost.”
Xie Minting’s hand went limp.
She had nothing to say about this battle; she had been thoroughly defeated.
She clutched her numerous wounds, managed to stand up straight, and stumbled. She had to support herself with the tip of her sword to keep from falling. “…Why did you suppress your cultivation?” Shouldn’t she have taken the opportunity to kill her and deal a heavy blow to the righteous sects?
This whole thing was very strange.
“My hands were just itching.”
Jiang Xidai said coolly, “There are too many weaklings. I just picked the best of a bad bunch to let off some steam.”
“…”
Xie Minting said nothing, her head slightly lowered.
“Jiang Xidai.”
Just as Jiang Xidai thought she was about to make some grand declaration about how thousands would bring the demoness to justice after her death, instead—
“I apologize to you.”
Jiang Xidai’s lashes lifted slightly, her expression showing a hint of surprise, but it was fleeting.
Her sword shifted a little. “A joke. Since when does a righteous prodigy apologize to a demoness? Do you think I won’t kill you because of this?”
Xie Minting: “Regarding Yan Huirou’s matter, the Haoran Sect investigated it, and after some twists and turns, it was indeed the work of the Qingxu Sect. I misunderstood you that day. Although… what needs to be clarified still needs to be clarified.”
“…”
After a long time, the red-robed woman sneered. “Do I need your forgiveness? You weakling.”
Jiang Xidai sheathed her A Ten-foot Soft Red, and it turned into a streak of light, inserting itself into the handle of her umbrella. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and continued to look down on Xie Minting.
“Just a few empty words. Believe it or not, if I put my sword to another person’s neck, they would kneel and kowtow, begging for my forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness? What right do you have?”
Being called a “weakling” and openly insulted was jarring for anyone to hear.
“There are no true words under a butcher’s knife. But what I said was sincere.”
After apologizing, Xie Minting’s tone turned cold again. “It’s just this one matter. Jiang Xidai, just for your burning of Lanyue Pavilion and slaughtering the Lingshan Sect, if I have the chance, I will still kill you to avenge them and clear the Lingshan Sect’s name.”
“…”
Jiang Xidai suddenly felt bored. She had thought this person was about to abandon the light for the darkness, but she was still as stubborn as ever—even with a sword at her neck.
“Get lost.”
She dropped a single word and turned to leave. “I’m too lazy to kill anyone today. We’ll talk about it next time.”
After fighting with someone, the pent-up frustration in her heart had indeed dissipated a lot, like stagnant blood.
But as her feet touched the ground, after the intense focus of the battle, Jiang Xidai’s hand holding the umbrella tightened slightly, and her thoughts drifted back.
Xie Minting’s swordplay was not bad, just a little inferior to hers. But it wasn’t a gap in talent.
Swordplay developed on a bright, wide stage through a life of smooth sailing could not be compared to the killing techniques honed on the edge of life and death, in a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.
Her path was a bit like Yan Huirou’s.
At this thought, Jiang Xidai recalled for a moment, and a few points on how to correct Yan Huirou’s form actually surfaced in her mind. She subconsciously memorized them, thinking she would tell her when she got back.
But as her thoughts reached this point, she felt a slight annoyance: Damn it, why am I thinking about that blind little thing again?
She had never taught such an ungrateful disciple. Even Wen Xianyin wouldn’t dare to secretly run down the mountain to meet someone without asking her first.
Just as she was resisting the thought, a voice came from behind her, at the worst possible time.
“Jiang Xidai.” Xie Minting’s voice paused. “…That little girl, is she still at the Shasheng Sect? How is she now?”
