Long Chen hadn’t expected to encounter an attack here. It was so sharp that it made his hair stand on end before it even reached him.
The attack came without him having sensed anything before. With a cold snort, he smashed his fist behind him, not even looking.
However, what shocked him was that his attack struck nothing. The seemingly sharp attack was completely void, filled with only empty might.
Even before the attack arrived, it had naturally dissipated. Long Chen had actually been fooled. He had been unable to tell that this was a fake attack before countering. It was very dangerous.
“Your reactions are quick, and your power is strong enough. But your head’s a bit slow.”
Just at this moment, a tall woman came walking over. She had a pair of exceptionally long legs that were very attention-grabbing, and she wore black leather armor that set off her body.
Although Long Chen had seen beautiful women, it was his first time seeing a woman wearing such brazen and spicy clothing.
She had red hair that looked naturally curly, which framed her delicate face. However, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, giving her a prideful and fierce appearance.
Her arms were bare, but there were white runic lines that were slowly fading at this moment. Due to her snow-white skin, it was impossible to see those lines without looking closely. These were clearly the marks left behind by her previous attack.
Her skintight leather armor seemed to barely be able to stop her chest from bursting out. As she walked toward him, Long Chen learned another meaning for the term ‘surging waves’.
This extremely fiery woman had clearly launched that attack to test Long Chen. When Long Chen looked at her, he instantly recognized her. She had been the woman on the Three Foot Golden Crow that had flown by, almost causing his flying boat to flip. At that time, he had only seen her back.
Now that she was standing in front of him, he found that she was barely an inch shorter than him. It was mostly her long legs that gave her that advantage.
“Have I offended you in some way?” Long Chen frowned.
This woman gave him a strong sense of danger. That bow behind her in particular had a terrifying aura.
“Beitang Rushuang, if you want to target me, you shouldn’t attack others. That will damage the prestige of the Beitang family,” said Nangong Zuiyue before this new woman said anything.
Beitang? Long Chen’s heart shook. So this woman was also from an everlasting family.
“You’re so protective of him already? Could it be that your frozen heart has finally been moved? Wow, I didn’t think that this little fellow was so amazing. He was actually able to make the fairy Zuiyue, who once toppled the continent’s geniuses and infatuated countless men, so protective of him! I should take a closer look.” Beitang Rushuang actually began to circle Long Chen, seeming to want to find something special about him.
That feeling of being stared at by such a terrifying yet alluring woman made even Long Chen feel unnatural. But just who was Long Chen? When it came to immoral behavior…
“Excuse me, young lady, you’re acting like a mosquito looking for a good piece of flesh to bite. If you keep looking, I’ll have to charge a fee,” said Long Chen sternly.
“Hahaha!” Beitang Rushuang was first startled, but then she laughed. The surging waves dazzled Long Chen’s eyes. “Young lady? Little fellow, you are that fellow called Long Chen, right? Do you know how much bigger we are than you?”
Looking at Beitang Rushuang’s fiery attire, he asked, “Much bigger? That would depend on what we’re comparing.”
Nangong Zuiyue’s expression twitched. Originally, she had thought Long Chen to be a wise and elegant man due to the words he had said upon hearing the heavenly music here. But as soon as Beitang Rushuang came, he became a scoundrel.
“I’ll go look around somewhere else. I won’t disturb the two of you any longer.” Nangong Zuiyue bowed slightly and turned to leave.
“Hold it!” Beitang Rushuang suddenly blocked her path. Upon looking at Nangong Zuiyue, her smile vanished. “Nangong Zuiyue, what do you think you’re doing by constantly avoiding me? You came eight hundred years before me, and I didn’t get to see the period when the Nangong family’s glory was at the peak. After I was born, I killed countless enemies and avenged my family’s enmities. I wanted to fight with you, but you were already sealed. I had no choice but to be sealed as well with my regrets. Now that the great era has come and we’ve been awakened at the same time, you’ve refused my challenges over and over again. Why? Are you looking down on me?”
Divine runes began to surge within Beitang Rushuang’s eyes, and the bow on her back began to rumble. Her battle intent caused the heavens to change color.
Although she hadn’t even taken off her bow, there seemed to be some invisible energy pulling back the bowstring. Battle was imminent.
As if not seeing Beitang Rushuang’s hostility, Nangong Zuiyue maintained a calm and indifferent appearance. “The Beitang and Nangong families had some misunderstandings back then. Those matters are already in the past. There’s no need for the previous generation’s enmities to fall on us to settle. If you simply wanted to exchange pointers to corroborate our Daos, I would welcome you. But if it’s because of vengeance, then I’m not interested.”
“You are running,” said Beitang Rushuang coldly.
“I suppose. The world is filled with fighting and troubles. Why bother adding more for myself? My heart has always been focused on cultivation, searching for the Dao of life, unraveling the mysteries of heaven and earth. As for everything else, I’m not interested,” said Nangong Zuiyue, still as gentle as water. It was as if she would never get angry.
“Hmph, stop acting so hypocritical. Do you not know what the Nangong family did back then? I did everything to cultivate so that I could defeat you one day and show the world that anyone who harms my Beitang family will pay a price. Nangong Zuiyue, no matter how you dodge me, you won’t escape. I cultivate to defeat you. Although you say that the previous generation’s enmities shouldn’t be carried by us, your generation will have to reap the seed planted by them. That is karma. This place is the Dongfang family’s, so I won’t force you here. But be clear, you might be able to dodge me the first time, but you won’t be able to dodge me forever. There will sooner or later be a battle between us,” said Beitang Rushuang.
To the side, Long Chen was startled. It seemed that there was some unresolvable enmity between the Nangong family and the Beitang family.
Well, all this had nothing to do with him. To avoid being drawn into a fight between behemoths, he began to slip away.
“Stop right there!” He had just been slipping away when Beitang Rushuang shouted at him.
“Ah well, your enmities aren’t for an outsider like me to get involved in. I wouldn’t want to be killed to keep my mouth quiet.” Long Chen hastily drew lines between him and the two of them.
“My enmity with her can be put aside for now. That thing you said, the Grand Dao is formless, giving birth to heaven and earth; the Grand Dao is emotionless, moving the sun and moon; the Grand Dao is nameless, nouris.h.i.+ng all life. Where did you hear that? Or did you come up with it yourself?” asked Beitang Rushuang, temporarily ignoring Nangong Zuiyue.
This Beitang Rushuang was capable of raising enmities and dropping them so easily. All that tension and hostility vanished in an instant.
“Actually, I was just randomly bragging. You don’t have to take it seriously,” said Long Chen. These words had simply popped out of him naturally due to what he had felt from the music. It had touched him in the deepest part of his soul.
However, there was no need for him to admit to such a thing. These people here were all monsters, and he didn’t want to embarra.s.s himself. Bragging badly might end with him being exposed.
Nangong Zuiyue frowned. She looked at Long Chen oddly, examining him once more. His way of talking was rather vulgar, especially when he was in front of women.
“Then continue bragging. I want to hear it.” On the other hand, Beitang Rushuang didn’t mind. She stared deeply into Long Chen’s eyes as if wanting to see through his soul.
“Miss, if you look at me so closely, I’ll get embarra.s.sed. Ah, it’s just regretful…” Long Chen suddenly sighed.
“What’s regretful?” asked Beitang Rushuang.
“It’s regretful that my home already has a heroic woman that doesn’t let me touch other flowers. Otherwise, I might lose my life when I return.” Long Chen looked exceptionally bitter. “Actually, with your talent and beauty, as long as you work a bit harder and take some more initiative, perhaps I might be moved by you. But… we were simply born at the wrong time! I already have someone in my heart and can’t add you in, so all we can do is look at each other longingly. But don’t be dejected. I’m sure you will eventually find your own fated partner. Just forget about me and find someone better. Take care!”
Long Chen bitterly turned and left. Then his bitter expression vanished and he hastily slipped away.
Nangong Zuiyue and Beitang Rushuang simply stood there in stunned silence for a few seconds. They were the peerless geniuses of their time and had seen countless heroes. But it was their first time encountering someone like this.
“Get back here!”
Just as Long Chen thought that he had escaped, Beitang Rushuang suddenly took a single step forward, appearing behind him and dragging him back.