His gaze was firm, his demeanor fearless, just as he was in his youth.
Zi Ji Tian released Zi Yang Chun's hand and took a step forward, facing Xie Lian Hua directly. "I have been in seclusion for twelve years. I did not expect Palace Master Lian Hua to still remember my name."
Just as expected!
Xie Lian Hua thought to herself, her expression immediately turning ugly.
Zi Yang Chun alone had already given her a great deal of trouble.
Now, with Zi Ji Tian, who was three parts stronger than Zi Yang Chun, appearing, wasn't this going to completely extinguish her hope of revenge?
More than half of the time for the Bao Ling Dan was already gone.
If she got entangled with these two, all her efforts today would be in vain.
In the end, she would have lost a prized disciple and a one-of-a-kind Bao Ling Dan, failed to get revenge, ended up paralyzed in bed for three months, and unable to advance her cultivation further. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?
No! Absolutely not!
The arrow was already nocked and ready to fire. She absolutely refused to let her efforts be in vain!
Xie Lian Hua's gaze became resolute.
"Zi Ji Tian, are you truly going to oppose me?"
Zi Ji Tian glanced back at Zi Lin Ling and said, "She is my granddaughter! The biological daughter of my son!"
His words were forceful and resounding.
Although he did not directly answer Xie Lian Hua's question, he revealed his unwavering stance.
She is my granddaughter, so who else would I protect if not her?
She is my son's biological daughter, so who else would I protect if not her?
Behind him, Zi Lin Ling's eyes flashed with a glimmer of emotion.
For some inexplicable reason, her nose tingled, and her heart felt warm.
However, the emotion came and went as quickly as it arrived.
Could the suffering endured by the original owner for twelve years be erased by just a few words?
To understand now? To forgive now? To let bygones be bygones regarding all past neglect?
Her Ghost Hand Poison Doctor was not that magnanimous!
Xie Lian Hua sneered, "She is your relative, yes, but she killed my own sister, she killed my own kin!"
Zi Ji Tian said calmly, "So what? In this world, he who kills shall be killed! Moreover, Lin'er is inherently pure and kind; she would never kill innocent people."
Inherently pure and kind?
Li Luo, Xiong Tai, and Fu Liu Yun's mouths twitched simultaneously.
Ye Ling Yuan smiled faintly. While it was absolutely correct to say his Lin'er was kind, saying she was "pure and kind" was another matter.
Zi Lin Ling herself twitched at the corner of her mouth.
She truly hadn't expected her cheap grandfather to describe her as "pure and kind."
"Pure and kind? Hahaha..."
Xie Lian Hua's killing intent surged once more. She said coldly, "Since that's the case, then we have nothing more to say. Let's fight!"
"Fight then, are you afraid I won't?"
Zi Ji Tian roared with valor, his fighting spirit rapidly ascending. Even his Zhan Yue Saber began to glow with a bloody light.
"Fight!"
Zi Yang Chun shouted, his Huo Long Spear emitting a series of dragon roars.
Behind them stood the people they wanted to protect. No reason could make them retreat.
"Ah..."
Zi Lin Ling's words were on the tip of her tongue but were cut off by Xie Lian Hua's attack.
"Hua Ling Sword Technique! Flowers Bloom and Wither!"
"Mu Ling Bao!"
"Huo Ling Wu!"
Xie Lian Hua unleashed three powerful moves in quick succession.
She didn't have much time left, so she was determined to defeat Zi Yang Chun and Zi Ji Tian at all costs, and then kill Zi Lin Ling.
Therefore, every move she made was a killing blow!
Fortunately, she discovered at this moment that she could once again mobilize the wood spiritual energy in the air.
On the stage, wood and fire spiritual energies surged, petals danced, and the air filled with fragrance.
The massive wood spiritual energy sphere formed by Mu Ling Bao attacked Zi Yang Chun, while the giant fire bird phantom formed by Huo Ling Wu pounced towards Zi Ji Tian.
Huo Ling Wu?
Zi Lin Ling looked at the giant fire bird in the air, her brow furrowed.
Others might not recognize the fire bird phantom, but she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Master, there is my aura on that fire bird!" Huang Yi's voice echoed in Zi Lin Ling's mind.
"You mean..."
A hint of anger appeared in Zi Lin Ling's eyes.
Huang Yi in the Goddess Palace was merely Huang Yi's spirit. Huang Yi's true body, though hidden by Feng Li Xi, might have been discovered by someone due to the loosening of the seal over the vast expanse of time.
"Hmph! Hundred Flowers Palace? It seems I must pay them a visit myself!"
If the Hundred Flowers Palace was indeed using Huang Yi's body, then she would have to flex her muscles.
Setting aside Zi Lin Ling's complex thoughts, Zi Yang Chun held his spear, becoming one with his weapon. His heart moved, his spear moved, his intent reached, his spear followed.
"Well met!"
He shouted, and the spear light of his long spear pierced into the Mu Ling Bao, stirring it rapidly.
As for the rain of petals that fell upon him, he simply ignored it.
Zi Ji Tian leaped high into the air, his Zhan Yue Saber drawing a two-meter blood-red light, and slashed down at the fire bird phantom.
Two booming sounds echoed simultaneously, causing those who were spectating to experience ringing in their ears.
Those with weaker cultivation directly bled from their mouths, indicating the ferocity of the collision between these two energies.
Xie Lian Hua, fighting two opponents at once, spat out another mouthful of blood.
Her existing internal injuries had worsened considerably.
If not for the "Flowers Bloom and Wither" move, which had the effect of strengthening herself and weakening the opponent, she might have even coughed up fragments of her internal organs.
But she didn't care, a wild smile on her face.
Only through this kind of exchange of injuries for injuries, life for life, could she quickly defeat her opponents.
As expected, Zi Yang Chun and Zi Ji Tian were both sent flying backward.
Zi Ji Tian was relatively unharmed. Although he was sent flying, his blood and qi only churned. After taking five steps back, he dispelled the force within him.
Zi Yang Chun, however, fell heavily to the ground, kicking up dust and spitting out a mouthful of blood with a "wu" sound.
"Second brother!"
"Second brother!"
Zi Yang Shang, Zi Yang Bei, and Zi Yang Qiu cried out in concern and rushed towards the stage.
But before they could reach the stage, Zi Ji Tian had already arrived beside Zi Yang Chun, helping him up and asking with concern, "Second brother, are you alright?"
Zi Yang Chun steadied himself with the Huo Long Spear, pushed Zi Ji Tian away, wiped the blood from his lips, and shook his head, saying, "I'm fine!"
"That's good!"
Zi Ji Tian nodded and looked at Xie Lian Hua, a trace of solemnity in his eyes.
Just now, he vaguely felt that within the range of those petals, his strength had been weakened by thirty percent.
This was troublesome.
Because he was unfamiliar with the Bao Ling Dan and did not know how long its effects would last, he dared not let his guard down in the slightest.
Xie Lian Hua did not give Zi Ji Tian any extra time to think, as the "Mu Ling Bao" and "Huo Ling Wu" in front of them had already reformed.
"Let's see how many more times you can take this!"
As she spoke, the same scene reappeared before Zi Ji Tian and Zi Yang Chun: a giant wood spiritual energy sphere, a colossal fire bird phantom, and petals dancing in the air.