Chapter 274 - Painting
The hill where the chief leader of Tianxiang Order was standing on, was full of cinnamon tree, and its fragrance filled the mountains as it traveled along with the clouds.
The trio of Shen Lian followed the rower to the peak. At this moment the leader of Tianxiang Order had already brought along her Doyens and followers to welcome them.
The younger followers only caught a glimpse of Zhao Xiaoyu"s face concealed by her veil, but her uncovered eyes and eyebrows were already out of this world, even as beautiful as their Chief Leader, just like the beauty duo of the generation.
Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "Everyone is here. Very well, all of you can come after me."
She looked as graceful as lovable as the water lotus, but her first words were so strong. Her ruthless confidence tainted everyone"s soul that they even thought that she had the abilities to travel through heaven and earth.
The red-robed lady switched her view to Zhao Xiaoyu, and said calmly, "You are Zhao Xiaoyu from Nine Lotus Order."
As soon as she said this, all the Doyens and followers behind her gasped. So this fearless lady who looked extremely difficult to deal with was Zhao Xiaoyu of the Nine Lotus Order. Although both orders had clashed before, they would never expect her to have the guts to bring along a sickly man and intrude Tianxiang Order"s main altar, accompanied by a little girl which is another drag.
No matter how powerful her abilities were, she should not look down on Tianxiang Order in such a way.
Zhao Xiaoyu sneered, "You are the newly appointed leader of Tianxiang Order? So the Grand Technique of Enthrallment is as rumored, but we shall see how much you have really learned."
The red-robed lady turned and looked at Shen Lian, and calmly said, "Mister Shen, are you here to help our Daoist friend Zhao as well?"
That sounded like a question, which showcased some respect she had for Shen Lian. All the Doyens were fl.u.s.tered that one Zhao Xiaoyu was tough enough to fight against, and yet the Chief Leader had the guts to look at a sickly man and treated him with respect. It seemed like this man could be even better than Zhao Xiaoyu, which was why Zhao Xiaoyu could come to the main altar so effortlessly.
The most powerful person in the Tianxiang Order was their Chief Leader, as the other Doyens were only at Ruhua level. Their leader"s ma.s.sive power was the only reason they dared to expand. If she lost this fight, would that not mean that the main altar will be wrecked?
Though they won in crowd size, it still did not give them any additional sense of security.
All this while, the only confidence they had was built on their leader"s invincibility.
Zhao Xiaoyu thought, Shen Lian even knew this person. She still recognized him even after he had changed his looks. It meant that she had some capability in her as well.
Shen Lian replied, "It has been twenty years since we last separated. Miss Xin is looking more charming than before. Is your father well?"
He knew that this father and daughter pair of the Xin family was mysterious enough. She must have recognized her from his special trait somewhere on his own body.
Xin s.h.i.+siniang sighed, "My father had pa.s.sed away."
Shen Lian looked surprised and said, "Things are so unpredictable. I thought we still have the opportunity to meet each other. I can still remember those good days of us chatting through the night around the fireplace, his words and advice still ring around my ears."
"We dare not credit ourselves. Later, father heard of your encounters as well. He said that you have a heavenly destiny, so you would have come to where you are today even without us," Xin s.h.i.+siniang"s tone was calm.
Zhao Xiaoyu interrupted, "I come today to settle debts, not to see your reminiscence here."
Xin s.h.i.+siniang suddenly smiled. Her smile was as wide as the water ca.n.a.l, warm as the fire, and asked, "Mister Shen, are you helping both sides, or helping neither?"
Zhao Xiaoyu"s face was calm. She never feared that Shen Lian would switch alliance for an old acquaintance, or she had the immense confidence to face all unexpected incidents.
"Miss Xin, it will be hard for me to fight against you. Why don"t you hand over the Tianxiang Order to Miss Zhao, so no one will have to fight," Shen Lian grinned.
A Doyen of Tianxiang Order was helplessly furious at this, but he dared not go against Shen Lian the fellow who sounded more arrogant, Zhao Xiaoyu, so he could only look at his own leader.
A few young members even got emotional, "Chief, no matter how powerful they are, we are not afraid, even if we die."
Zhao Xiaoyu let out a chuckle, moved her sleeves and landed a direct hit on the large boulder on the edge of the peak. That boulder was there for tens of thousands of years, it was so hard that not normal sword and weapon could scratch it.
But this little move from Zhao Xiaoyu shattered it into ash.
Both Tianxiang Order and Nine Lotus Order were branches of the Luo Sect, so there were Doyens who recognized it and exclaimed, "The Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo!"
Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo technique was created by the first generation Daluo Saintess. Its power might not be the top of the world, but with her highly regarded level of cultivation, the first generation Daluo Saintess once used the Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo to shatter a mountain head of a celestial school into ashes and ruled the region.
Those were the glorious days of the Luo Sect, what all Luo Sect"s disciples longed for, even until then.
Although Zhao Xiaoyu"s Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo only shattered a boulder, it still showcased her unmeasurable depth of mana. At least this group of people was not as tough as that boulder.
A few young members who stiffened their neck witnessed the ashes of the boulder being blown away by the mountain breeze into the clouds, as if seeing their consequence if they offend Zhao Xiaoyu, they could not help but become silent.
Xin s.h.i.+siniang remained unfazed by Zhao Xiaoyu"s Heavenly Sleeves. She looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Mister Shen, why are you pus.h.i.+ng me like this?"
Shen Lian answered, "I will not put you in a loss as well. I will pa.s.s you the thing that your father desired last time."
Xin s.h.i.+siniang"s expression changed, "You found it?"
"I think you would want it too. I do not have it with me, but I remembered it all in my head, I can recite it for you," Shen Lian explained.
"Thank you, Mister Shen. Tianxiang Order is only my temporary shelter. As long as Miss Zhao doesn"t dwell on the past conflict, I can order them to yield," Xin s.h.i.+siniang looked at Zhao Xiaoyu and replied.
Zhao Xiaoyu glanced at Shen Lian. She could actually overtake with force, yet he wanted to make it so tedious.
Shen Lian replied with a smile as if he was saying, "Isn"t it good not to use violence."
She replied, "Then I have no choice but take this Tianxiang Order under my arms now."
All the Doyens were fl.u.s.tered. The rower from before exclaimed, "I will not accept this, Chief. We are only willing to follow you."
The lady in red said, "If you still consider me as your Chief, then do as I say."
Her mystical mana far surpa.s.sed any leader from past generations. She was generous and nice, she even guided many other disciples, so she had gained quite some respect. Her eyes scanned through the crowd who dared not speak against her.
These people had no idea that if Shen Lian joined hands with Zhao Xiaoyu, she would have no winning chance.
Moreover, Shen Lian was about to pa.s.s her the Divine Fox Notes. That was an offer she could not reject.
Finally, the red-robed lady said, "Mister Shen, there is something I need to tell you. That painting, I couldn"t save it for you, it got s.n.a.t.c.hed away."
Shen Lian replied, "I never really wanted that painting in the first place."
The red-robed lady sighed and told the followers and Doyens around her, "All of you may leave. I have something to discuss with Mister Shen."