Yan Jiaojiao watched Tang Xiye slowly swallow the Mingzhu Dan in front of her.
A sweet fragrance immediately spread in her mouth, like spring rain nourishing everything, rapidly permeating Yan Jiaojiao's bones and meridians, washing and nourishing them repeatedly. Yan Jiaojiao felt a surge of comfort, her stagnant spiritual energy softening and finding relief in the gradually widening meridians.
Yan Jiaojiao relaxed, but Tang Xiye's heart twisted tighter. Her face contorted with unbearable pain and resentment. Stubbornly, she exclaimed, "You deserve to die! How dare you actually eat my Mingzhu Dan!"
Tang Xiye no longer cared about any martial arts or immortal techniques. Speaking as she advanced, she lunged forward, attempting to slap Yan Jiaojiao soundly.
But Yan Jiaojiao was not about to let her have her way. Before Tang Xiye's palm could land, Yan Jiaojiao retaliated with a slap of her own, sending Tang Xiye sprawling to the ground!
"Yan Jiaojiao!" Tang Xiye clutched her face, glaring at Yan Jiaojiao. She looked truly pathetic, and the surrounding snickers only made her eyes well up with tears. "You deserve to die! How dare you hit me! You deserve to die!"
Yan Jiaojiao sneered, "Is that all you can say? Don't you have anything fresher?"
Before she could get a response, Yan Jiaojiao felt a gust of wind. Before she could even look up, she was sent flying into the air by a powerful, domineering spiritual force, crashing heavily back to the ground with a dull thud!
Yan Jiaojiao was thrown into a daze. Lying on the ground, she stared at the sky for a few seconds before her vision cleared. She pushed herself up and saw Xuan Chen bending down, gently helping Tang Xiye up from the ground.
Upon seeing Xuan Chen, Tang Xiye's grievances intensified. She began to wail, burying herself in Xuan Chen's arms. "Master, Master, you've finally come! If you hadn't, I would have been bullied to death! You must uphold justice for me!"
Xuan Chen remained silent, his beautiful lips pressed into a thin line. The usual indifference in his eyes was replaced by a deep concern. His slender, pale fingers gently cupped Tang Xiye's chin, lifting her head to examine the slap mark on her face. His expression darkened further.
Tang Xiye continued to sob, as if she were a wronged child. Her tear-streaked face was indeed pitiful.
Yan Jiaojiao had already gotten back to her feet. Watching Tang Xiye lean so helplessly into Xuan Chen's embrace, she knew she was in for trouble.
After all, Xuan Chen no longer cared about his title as Master. He was openly embracing and comforting his female disciple's disciple in front of everyone, his affection undisguised.
As expected, Xuan Chen noticed Yan Jiaojiao standing up. His narrow eyes flickered towards her, like a cold-blooded creature fixing its gaze on prey, sending a chilling shiver down her spine.
"You hit her."
Xuan Chen's voice was a merciless statement. He raised his hand and unleashed a palm strike, once again sending Yan Jiaojiao to the ground, this time without even touching her.
Xuan Chen's power was immense, and Yan Jiaojiao was utterly defenseless. She barely managed to withstand the blow, sitting on the ground and clutching her chest. Xuan Chen's first strike had already been heavy, and this one showed no mercy.
She was still recovering from injuries sustained during a battle with the Night Ghost Demon. Now, her chest injury had worsened. If she hadn't suppressed the metallic taste in her mouth, she would have coughed up blood on the spot.
Seeing Yan Jiaojiao repeatedly knocked to the ground, Tang Xiye's crying gradually subsided. She even managed to peek out from Xuan Chen's embrace to witness Yan Jiaojiao's plight. Despite her teary eyes, a triumphant smirk flickered across her face.
The surrounding students remained silent, kneeling with bated breath. No one dared to move, fearing that if Master Xuan Chen was displeased, they would all be punished.
Yan Jiaojiao, however, managed to push herself up again. She could feel that these two palm strikes alone had broken two of her ribs and caused some internal damage.
But she knew that if not for her status as a student of Ge Nan Academy, she might have been killed by the first strike.
Seeing Yan Jiaojiao still standing resolutely, Xuan Chen glanced at her again. "If you trouble Tang Xiye again, do not blame me for disregarding our past affections."
His affection was truly to the core.
Yan Jiaojiao, clutching her chest and suppressing the pain, sneered, "Why?"
Xuan Chen, who was about to lead Tang Xiye away, paused and looked back at Yan Jiaojiao. "What?"
"Tang Xiye has been bullying others in Ge Nan Academy for a long time, yet you show her constant favoritism. I only hit her because she provoked me first!"
Xuan Chen turned back, facing Yan Jiaojiao directly. The indifference in his eyes was like that of looking at an ant, a stark contrast to the gentleness he showed Tang Xiye.
Tang Xiye, however, feared Xuan Chen might believe Yan Jiaojiao's words. She immediately began to sob again. "I didn't! Master, you must believe me. I've never bullied her. Instead, she's been deceiving me and colluding with students from the Water faction to steal my spirit stones!"
Tang Xiye said nothing about hiring someone to attack Yan Jiaojiao, only continuing to accuse Yan Jiaojiao.
"Despicable," Xuan Chen genuinely believed her and coldly concluded, "Apologize to Tang Xiye."
Yan Jiaojiao found it absurd. Even a foolish ruler wouldn't be this biased. Apologizing to Tang Xiye was out of the question.
Seeing her silence, Xuan Chen waved his hand and sent another palm strike towards Yan Jiaojiao, the powerful spiritual force carrying wind and stones.
Yan Jiaojiao refused to passively accept her fate. She pushed her hands forward, exerting all her strength to erect a spiritual barrier. It barely blocked Xuan Chen's palm strike, forcing her to retreat several steps. As the spiritual force attack was neutralized, the spiritual barrier she had painstakingly created shattered.
Xuan Chen narrowed his eyes. "Presumptuous." He raised his hand and unleashed another palm strike. Yan Jiaojiao's spiritual energy was already depleted. She could only brace herself and take the hit. With a "bang," she crashed to the ground again, scattering debris and creating a shallow pit!
Yan Jiaojiao could no longer hold back, and a mouthful of blood spurted out, drenching her clothes.
"Apologize!"
Xuan Chen, with one arm around Tang Xiye, stepped forward, clearly unwilling to let it go.
Yan Jiaojiao refused to yield. Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, she stated firmly, "Never. If anyone is to apologize, it's Tang Xiye who should apologize to me!"
Xuan Chen's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead person. He slowly raised his other hand, formed a seal, and golden light began to shimmer and grow at his fingertips. He then pushed his hand towards Yan Jiaojiao, and a giant golden orb of light shot towards her, its immense spiritual power almost suffocating.
This was it. He truly intended to take Yan Jiaojiao's life!