Chapter 4, Conflict

Haoran's eyes were half-open and half-closed, as if he were oblivious to his surroundings. He secretly scoffed, saying: "Old feelings? Hmph, you heartless and treacherous beings, sweet-tongued yet venomous at heart. I won't fall for your tricks."

With hair standing on end in fury, he stands with his feet firmly planted, raising his long sword high.

What should be the next step

Others are not much of a concern; the previous relationship was quite ordinary. Sikong Qing's attitude is also understandable. With the two factions in opposition, it is certain that they will take advantage of the situation. However, Ling Xu and Xue Han are different; where there are people, there are emotions. When people leave, the bonds of affection dissipate. Their hearts are exceedingly malicious, as they actually intend to completely eradicate Ye Ling, showing a complete lack of humanity

The speed of the light was too fast, arriving in an instant. Haoran had no time to defend himself; with a sound of "clang," the long sword broke into two pieces. His right arm felt a sharp pain, and half of his body went numb. The light automatically flew back, causing him to involuntarily gasp in shock

"You are the exalted spirit masters, the leaders of the Bluewood District, commanding great authority and drawing countless followers with a single call." Haoran smiled wryly and retorted, "I am merely a lowly and useless person, barely managing to hide, how could I dare to blame you?"

The heavy rain lasted for six hours. As the rain ceased and the thunder dispersed, a large white jade disc rose from the west. At the same time, the sky was densely populated with stars, marking the appearance of the purple brilliance of the stars and moon. The moonlight was bright and clear, and the stars twinkled. The flood came swiftly and receded just as quickly, and the birds and beasts began their nocturnal clamor

What he cherishes the most is Yeling, the foundation established by his parents, which he cannot abandon under any circumstances. He would not regret even sacrificing his own life; otherwise, his parents would be unable to rest in peace in the afterlife.

Their strength is too formidable. No, we must not be afraid. For the legacy of the elders, even if we cannot win, we must fight. With a straight back and a resolute expression, Hao Ran stands tall.

Sikong Qing looked up at the sky and coldly snorted, "I will give you half a stick of incense's time. Be sensible and end it yourself, so as to spare my hands from getting dirty and to lessen your suffering. It will be a win-win situation for us both."

Ling Hua, with a charming face flushed red, said in a soft and hesitant voice: "Please do not misunderstand me; I harbor no ill intentions. Truly, I am only trying to alleviate my father's worries. He, being sentimental, finds it difficult to make a firm decision. However, rules are rules, and everyone must abide by them. Alas, regarding your matter, I have been troubled for many years, caught in a dilemma. If you must blame someone, let it be me; please do not direct your anger towards him."

Sikong Qing stood several zhang away, coldly gazing at Haoran, exuding a murderous aura.

The air after the rain is exceptionally fresh, and the spiritual energy of Lingqing Ridge is particularly abundant. Taking a deep breath, it is surprisingly sweet, the chill completely dissipated, and the entire body feels at ease. My mind is completely awakened, still within the boundaries of Lingqing Ridge

The road out of the mountains is so long, stretching at least two to three thousand miles, seemingly never reaching an end. The stars and moon gradually shift eastward, and Lingqing Valley becomes increasingly distant. After a wild sprint of a hundred miles, Haoran finally comes to a halt.

Haoran stared at him coldly, as if looking at a stranger, his expression devoid of emotion

The face of Linghua Shangren was frozen, speechless.

The term "shrew" struck at the very heart of Sikong Qing's pain. She clenched her silver teeth and said sharply, "Fine, if you are not afraid of death, then so be it. If you have the guts, I will personally take your head to relieve the hatred in my heart." With a swift motion of her long sleeves, she was about to unleash her wrath.

Ling Hua, with a look of shame on his face, clasped his hands and said: "Haoran, my junior brother, I apologize. I know your temperament is fiery, and in order to make you give up on Yeling, I resorted to this underhanded tactic. I did not expect it to backfire. Please believe me, all of this has nothing to do with my father; he is still in the dark about it."

Haoran stopped in his tracks, wiped the rainwater from his face, tossed his wet hair back, and with a mocking smile said, "You want to keep me? Come on!"

Sikong Qing looked at him with disdain: "You little beast, even at the brink of death, you still dare to act wildly"

The torrential rain intensified, with streaks of lightning cutting across the sky, vivid and striking. Accompanying this were peals of thunder, deafening and overwhelming, as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart

There is no doubt that they will not let it go easily

Sikong Qing disdainfully said, "You little beast, you are far too overconfident." With a flick of her finger, a bright red beam of light shot down rapidly.

Suddenly, the murderous intent dissipated, and a hearty laugh erupted, bright yet eerie: "Ye Jian, Tian Lan, you two short-lived souls, I have long said that Ye Ling is an ominous place. In the past one hundred thousand years, eight hundred and ninety-seven sects have been annihilated here, none lasting more than a hundred years. Your Ye Ling is no exception; within less than sixty years, you will all perish. Did I not predict this accurately?"

Haoran had never fought with anyone, only sparred with Xue Ning in skill. Today, he finally experienced the terror of a Spirit Master; the gap was too vast, absolutely worlds apart. He paused for a moment, casually discarded the broken sword, and shouted loudly: "Shrew, I am not afraid of death, come on!"

"A mere flickering firefly dares to compete with the sun and moon for brilliance." Sikong Qing glanced at Haoran, her smile as radiant as a flower: "These two dead souls possess shallow cultivation, yet their ability to flatter is quite remarkable. Upon arriving in the Bluewood District, they have climbed to great heights, using their silver tongues to bewilder Lingxu and Xuehan. In our Bluewood, there is no one who does not admire them. Tsk tsk, they even bore a fine son. What a pity, though, heaven has eyes; ha ha, short-lived ghosts and useless people, this is your fate."

Ling Qingling is sleepless tonight, no, there is no night today, only brilliance and noise, along with the festive atmosphere throughout the mountains. As for the true feelings deep within, only each person knows, perhaps some are even confused about themselves.

The raindrops were the size of yellow beans, and when they hit him, it stung a little. However, the greatest pain for Haoran was still in his heart. Regardless of whether what Lingxu and Xuehan said was true or false, in his mind, Yeling was his home, where he was born and raised, and it was also his only refuge at present. Now, he had to relinquish it willingly, which he could not accept under any circumstances.

My parents are the best people in the world, upright and just, warm-hearted, willing to go to great lengths for their friends, ready to face fire and water, and would defend brotherly bonds with their lives. Why have they suffered such misfortune? Is it truly the case that good people do not live long, while bad people thrive for a thousand years?

Haoran also hated himself; he had previously progressed smoothly in his cultivation, and reaching spiritual enlightenment by the age of forty should have been no problem. How could he have become foolish overnight? He had unexpectedly become a waste of potential, which was truly disappointing, ruining a promising future, letting his parents down, and feeling ashamed to face Sister Ning.

Ling Hua, the ascetic, felt as if he were playing the lute to a cow, feeling quite uncomfortable all over. Yet, he could not bring himself to lower his pride, and with a bitter smile, he bowed his head.

In the Bluewood District, the Eight Factions represent the highest authority, particularly the Lingqing Sect, which is absolutely authoritative. As long as Master Lingxu wishes to accomplish something, no one can defy it. Additionally, Sikong Qing views Ye Ling as a thorn in her side and is eager to eliminate her at the earliest opportunity

Ling Xu and Xue Han, these two old fellows, usually call each other brothers, appearing dignified and upright, constantly proclaiming that they share blessings and bear hardships together, even claiming "to live and die together". However, at critical moments, they turn against each other without mercy, embodying the typical hypocrite, seeking fame and reputation, selfish and self-serving, knowing people by their appearance but not by their hearts, and they are even worse than beasts.

A figure floated in from behind, swiftly appearing before Haoran; it was none other than the Immortal Linghua.

Stop! A figure descended from the sky, revealing the esteemed Lingxu. He stood upon clouds of green and blue, his expression solemn. "Master Sikong, as a dignified spirit and the leader of your sect, how could you bully a junior, especially within the territory of Lingqing Ridge? This is utterly excessive"

After a long time, Ling Huashangren resolutely raised his head and said slowly, "This matter arose because of me. If you want to do something, come at me. No matter what happens, I have no regrets. I only hope you do not direct your anger at him."

Sikong Qing's expression changed dramatically, her chest heaving. Truly a master of her sect, she forcibly suppressed her surging anger and clasped her hands, saying: "Since a senior has intervened, I will not take further action. Farewell!" She turned and swiftly departed.

Go back and tell your father that from now on, the enmity between Ye Ling and Ling Qing has been completely severed, and the ties with the Lan Mu faction have also been cut off. If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. Hao Ran lightly stepped aside, and through clenched teeth, he uttered a few words: "If anyone harbors ill intentions, hmph, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Haoran's face turned ashen, and he drew out his long sword, channeling all his energy, causing the sword body to shimmer with a golden light

The blazing fire in the sky surpasses the pure white moon and the brilliant Milky Way

The two stood there, seemingly calm on the surface, yet each harbored their own thoughts.

Ling Hua shivered, sensing a strong aura of killing intent and deep-seated hatred. An inexplicable intuition surged within her, indicating that Hao Ran was like a wounded beast, one that should not be provoked, lest it invite a frenzied retaliation that no one could withstand

Haoran showed no signs of weakness, glaring angrily and shouted: "Shrew, you finally showed your face. Good, if you have the ability, come and take my head. I'm waiting for you."

The robe soaked in water, the hairpin unknowingly loosened, the wet hair clinging together, the accumulated water on the ground flooded past the knees, a chill pervaded the body, making every step difficult. However, Haoran walked with firm strides, wading through the surging flood towards the mountain's exit. The dense raindrops did not obstruct the line of sight, and the flames still burned around, relying on instinct to find the way out of the mountain.