The Guanxuan Law.
Ye Xuan was speechless.
He knew of the Guanxuan Law but was unaware of this particular clause.
Across from him, Taichu Hazelnut smiled, “Young Master Ye, as the dean, you’ll surely abide by the Guanxuan Law, won’t you?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Miss Hazelnut, there’s no need for this. Rest assured, this is an internal matter of the Taichu Clan. I won’t help Jingjing against you, nor will I force the Taichu Clan to submit.”
Taichu Hazelnut smiled lightly, “Young Master Ye, you’re truly a good person.”
Ye Xuan frowned.
At that moment, everyone suddenly looked up at the sky, where a figure plummeted straight down.
Seeing this, the faces of all the Taichu Clan powerhouses changed drastically.
The falling figure was their Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm elder.
Defeated?
The crowd was stunned.
Ye Xuan was also shocked. He hadn’t expected Taichu Jing to defeat a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm elder so quickly.
In the sky, Taichu Jing descended slowly.
At that moment, she exuded an overwhelming aura. As she descended, the entire world around her turned illusory.
The Taichu Divine Body.
Defeating a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm while only at the Heavenly Knowledge Realm.
The Taichu Clan powerhouses were both shocked and awed.
A Heavenly Knowledge Realm defeating a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm was simply outrageous.
Their emotions were complex, as Taichu Jing had once been part of the Taichu Clan, and now…
Nearby, Taichu Hazelnut suddenly laughed, “How interesting. My sister is truly the most prodigious talent since our ancestor, defeating a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm while only at the Heavenly Knowledge Realm. Impressive.”
Taichu Jing looked at Taichu Hazelnut, “I won’t let you die too painfully. After all, you made my departure quite swift back then.”
With that, she waved her sleeve, and a terrifying force surged toward Taichu Hazelnut.
Taichu Jing could defeat a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm while at the Heavenly Knowledge Realm. Taichu Hazelnut, also at the Heavenly Knowledge Realm, was no match for her.
However, as Jing’s force reached Hazelnut, an invisible power blocked it completely.
Everyone in the field froze.
Ye Xuan looked at Taichu Hazelnut, his eyes narrowing, “You’re a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm.”
Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Taichu Hazelnut waved her sleeve, and Jing’s aura vanished without a trace.
Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm.
Seeing this, the Taichu Clan members were ecstatic.
Their clan still had a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm powerhouse.
Two Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm powerhouses.
No, with Taichu Jing, it was equivalent to three.
Realising this, many of the older Taichu Clan members felt a surge of complex emotions. If the clan hadn’t been divided, this lineup would have been nearly invincible.
But now, they were forced to fight among themselves.
Taichu Jing looked at Taichu Hazelnut, “This just got more interesting.”
Taichu Hazelnut smiled, “Sister, as you said, it’s time to settle our grudge today.”
With that, her form flickered, and she entered the void.
Taichu Jing shot upward, following her.
Ye Xuan quickly followed as well.
In the void, the two women faced each other from a distance.
Taichu Jing’s expression was unusually calm. Though facing the one who had killed her, she showed no anger.
Taichu Hazelnut still wore a faint smile, “Sister, let me see how strong your Taichu Divine Body is.”
As her words fell, she opened her palm. The space behind her split, and a massive mirror appeared, emitting a beam of white light that illuminated the entire void.
Taichu Jing said expressionlessly, “The Heaven-Illuminating Divine Mirror.”
Taichu Hazelnut nodded, “Yes.”
With a smile, she pointed at Taichu Jing. The beam of white light shot downward like a giant blade toward her.
Taichu Jing remained calm, gently waving her right sleeve.
Boom.
A terrifying force surged upward, shattering the white light instantly. At that moment, a shadowy figure darted toward her.
Taichu Jing’s eyes narrowed, and she threw a punch.
Boom.
A deafening explosion resounded, and Taichu Jing was forced back thousands of zhang.
Stopping, she glanced at her fist, which had cracked.
Taichu Hazelnut laughed, “Sister, do you think I’m inferior to you?”
Taichu Jing looked at her. The next moment, her body trembled violently, and she vanished from the spot.
Swoosh.
Suddenly, the void turned illusory.
In the distance, Taichu Hazelnut slowly closed her eyes. A terrifying white light erupted from her body.
Boom.
A deafening explosion echoed through the starry sky, followed by a terrifying shockwave that spread millions of miles.
Ye Xuan stood firm, his sword intent automatically slicing through the shockwave as it reached him.
He watched the two sisters in the distance, now thousands of zhang apart. Taichu Jing’s body radiated powerful energy, while Taichu Hazelnut, a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm powerhouse, seemed much weaker in comparison.
Taichu Hazelnut wiped blood from her mouth and laughed, “Worthy of the Taichu Divine Body.”
She smiled lightly, “Sister, let’s not waste time. One move to decide it.”
Taichu Jing said calmly, “Fine.”
Taichu Hazelnut smiled, stepping forward, clenching her right hand. Her aura peaked instantly, and she vanished from the spot.
Boom.
A world-destroying force swept through like a flood.
In the distance, Taichu Jing slowly closed her eyes.
As the force reached her, she opened her eyes and pointed a finger.
Boom.
The terrifying force dissipated instantly. Her finger landed on Taichu Hazelnut’s forehead.
Taichu Hazelnut was frozen in place.
The Taichu Clan powerhouses hiding in the shadows paled.
Defeated.
Ye Xuan looked at Taichu Jing, deeply impressed. Her strength was terrifying; a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm was no match for her.
Was this the terror of a special constitution?
Before Taichu Jing, Taichu Hazelnut smiled, “Just like when we were kids. Whenever we fought, I could never beat you.”
Taichu Jing looked at her silently.
Taichu Hazelnut laughed, “Why haven’t you acted? Don’t tell me you’re reluctant. When I killed you, I showed no mercy.”
Taichu Jing looked at her for a moment, then withdrew her finger and walked to Ye Xuan, “Let’s go.”
Ye Xuan glanced at her, “Alright.”
As they turned to leave, Taichu Hazelnut suddenly called out, “Why didn’t you kill me?”
Taichu Jing turned to her, “You said our parents and clan valued me. Do you know how heavy that pressure was? From birth, I bore the responsibility of reviving the Taichu Clan. Do you know how weighty that was? I now understand you must feel it too. The future of the entire clan rested on my shoulders. I couldn’t disappoint our parents or the clan, so I had to work ten, a hundred times harder than others. Do you know why you could never beat me as a child? Before our constitutions fully awakened, we were equals. But you never won because while you played, I trained. While you ate, I trained. While you slept, I trained.”
She shook her head slightly, “You said you envied me, but you didn’t know I envied you more. You could live without that pressure, free to do as you pleased, to play, to be wilful. I couldn’t. From childhood, I lived according to our parents and clan’s expectations. To others, I was the young clan leader, the future of the Taichu Clan. But no one knew I didn’t want to live by others’ demands. While you envied me, I envied you.”
She looked at Ye Xuan and smiled, “Now, I love reading at the Guanxuan Academy, free and unbound by any responsibilities.”
Ye Xuan laughed, “The academy has plenty of books.”
Taichu Jing nodded, then turned to Taichu Hazelnut, “The Taichu Clan is better under your leadership than before. This proves you’re no less capable than me. At least in management, your vision and scope surpass mine. Unfortunately, our parents didn’t see this. Even if they had, they’d likely still have chosen me as clan leader because of my Taichu Divine Body. That was unfair to you and the others. But that’s no reason for you to kill me. Hazelnut, ask yourself, did I ever mistreat you growing up? When you got into trouble, didn’t I always shield you? How many times was I punished for you? And every time I got a new technique or skill, didn’t I secretly share it with you?”
She shook her head, “I don’t know why I didn’t kill you, but I know we’re no longer sisters. Don’t call me sister anymore.”
She turned to Ye Xuan, smiling, “Let’s go.”
Ye Xuan nodded, and they left together.
Taichu Jing looked at Ye Xuan and smiled, “Does my not becoming the Taichu Clan leader affect you?”
Ye Xuan laughed, “In my heart, your feelings and thoughts matter most. As for the Taichu Clan, ten Taichu Clans aren’t as important as you.”
Taichu Jing smiled, “Thank you.”
Ye Xuan laughed, “No need for that.”
Soon, they vanished into the distance.
In the void, Taichu Hazelnut stood quietly. After a long time, she walked to a hall where the ancestral tablets of the Taichu Clan’s forebears stood.
Among them were her parents’.
Taichu Hazelnut looked at the tablets. After a long while, she knelt slowly. She grinned, but as she smiled, two streams of clear liquid ran down her face.
After a long time, a black-robed elder appeared beside her. Seeing her, his face changed drastically, and he trembled, “Clan Leader…”
Taichu Hazelnut had no trace of life left.
Before her lay a letter with two words: Sister.
