Chapter 30: The Profound Maiden’s Heaven-Defying Technique

Li Xuan had been forced into this situation, becoming the "son-in-law" of the Tang family entirely against his will—and a deeply despised one at that, hardly even qualifying as a true son-in-law.

What in the world was this?

Elder Xiyue had departed alone, leaving Li Xuan and Jiang Qingyue to walk back along the mountain path to the Sacred Way Academy.

"Li Xuan, tell your big sister, what is going on here?"

Li Xuan stammered, unable to provide a coherent explanation after talking for quite a while. Annoyed, Jiang Qingyue poked him hard in the forehead and said, "You just wait, you're going to get what's coming to you!"

Li Xuan stomped his feet in frustration, shouting, "Sister Yueyue, what did I even do wrong?"

Jiang Qingyue had already swept away, leaving Li Xuan in a state of disarray in the wind.

The night was deep by now, so he had no choice but to return to his quarters at the academy and deal with future troubles when they arrived. After all, one does not fear a few extra lice, and one does not worry about too many debts.

The next day!

Li Xuan rose early to pay his respects to his master, Elder Xingxiu: "Master, your disciple is here to pay his respects!"

Elder Xingxiu merely let out a soft grunt and then remained silent.

Li Xuan, having been met with a cold shoulder, left feeling rather foolish.

*Pfft!*

Lying on his bed, Elder Xingxiu flailed his arms and legs, chuckling to himself: "The brat is clever enough to know he's in trouble and wants to ask me for help. In his dreams! It's much more interesting to let him clean up his own mess. That way, he won't come bothering me again!"

Like a mischievous child, Elder Xingxiu enjoyed watching his disciple’s misfortune, though he remained somewhat concerned. After all, this involved the Tang family, and he had to provide some cover, or else his disciple might really run off with them.

"That's Li Xuan! Surround him!"

A classmate caught sight of him from afar. With a shout, the other students swarmed him. It began with verbal abuse and quickly escalated to physical harassment, with all sorts of insults thrown his way.

Rumors were even dug up claiming that when Li Xuan was a child, his family was so poor he used to steal and wear girls' underwear.

"Get lost!"

Li Xuan cursed in a rage, but someone immediately reported him for his outburst, claiming he had touched a nerve and was lashing out in shame, intending to go on a killing spree.

With no other options, Li Xuan covered his ears and dodged around like a rat in the street. Seeing that the reporting time for the Four Paths Academy was almost up, he hurried over.

Just as the instructor was taking roll call: "Li Xuan!"

A long time passed without an answer. The instructor raised her voice: "Li Xuan! Li Xuan! Li Xuan!"

After three consecutive calls without a response, the instructor said with irritation, "What is going on? Such a lack of..."

Suddenly, a series of rapid footsteps approached, followed by a breathless, "Here... here..."

The instructor turned abruptly, only to collide head-on with the rushing Li Xuan. His hands landed squarely on the instructor's chest.

The instructor let out a shriek. Terrified, Li Xuan immediately pulled his hands back, sweating profusely as he explained, "Instructor Mo Xi'er, I didn't mean to!"

However, the students of the Four Paths Academy immediately began to jeer, "Instructor Mo Xi'er, Li Xuan did it on purpose!"

Among them, Jiang Qingyue, Wang Zifan, and Tang Ruoxian all gave him looks of utter contempt.

Instructor Mo Xi'er was of mixed heritage and was not bound by the rigid etiquette of the Eastern Domain, but the principles of self-respect were still etched into her bones. She was furious at such a lecherous student.

"Li Xuan, get to the back and stand still!"

Li Xuan’s face burned red as he awkwardly stood at the back under the gaze of his classmates.

When Mo Xi'er began her lecture, she used Li Xuan as a prime example, subjecting him to a scathing denunciation. Li Xuan spent the rest of the unforgettable lesson under the collective condemnation of the class.

***

However, things were far from over. Li Xuan was punished with cleaning duties, and the students, whether intentionally or not, left the lecture hall in such a mess that Li Xuan didn't even have time for lunch before the afternoon cultivation session began.

Instructor Mo Xi'er had changed into a set of fitted training gear. Her chest was prominent, rising like two mountain peaks, and her full hips outlined a perfect curve.

"First off, cultivation is about defying Yin and Yang, seizing fortune, and refining source energy to store it within the Qi Sea, so that it can erupt like a raging tide during combat. Therefore, you must first learn how to take a beating!"

"Li Xuan, step forward!"

"Tang Ruoxian, step forward!"

Instructor Mo Xi'er called the two out and said, "Li Xuan, you are at the early stage of the Martial Breaking Realm, and Tang Ruoxian is at the early stage of the God Slaying Realm. Although there is a major realm between you, a strong enough physique can allow one to fight across realms."

Mo Xi'er looked at Li Xuan from time to time, smiling as she said, "Isn't that right, Li Xuan?"

Wang Zifan secretly rejoiced. It seemed Instructor Mo Xi'er had arranged this to humiliate Li Xuan in public. Fighting across realms—Li Xuan would surely be beaten until his teeth were scattered on the floor.

Instructor Mo Xi'er nodded slightly. "Remember, focus your source energy into a single point and unleash it with full force!" She looked at the pair. "Li Xuan, Tang Ruoxian, you may begin!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Mo Xi'er's mouth as she cursed internally, "You little brat, daring to grab my virgin breasts in public..."

Tang Ruoxian looked at Li Xuan, her eyes filled with killing intent; she wished she could slaughter him on the spot.

She cracked her knuckles, her joints popping in unison. A thick, surging source energy erupted like a mountain flood, and the wisps of immortal mist surrounding her seemed almost tangible.

"Wait, Instructor Mo Xi'er, I protest. Tang Ruoxian looks like she wants to kill me. I'm scared!"

Li Xuan realized the situation was dire. Three years ago, he had only taken a peek, and it had left him bedridden. Now, that old bastard Tang Mingchen had pulled this stunt, and Tang Ruoxian clearly viewed him as a dead man.

"Protest denied. This is an academy drill; it won't result in death!"

Mo Xi'er flatly rejected his protest and waved her jade hand, signaling them to begin.

Jiang Qingyue looked at Li Xuan with starry eyes, thinking, "That's what you get for acting recklessly. This is your karma! And I have a big gift waiting for you later, too!"

"Begin!"

At the command of Instructor Mo Xi'er, Tang Ruoxian let out a sharp cry, and a massive force surged toward Li Xuan.

Li Xuan exclaimed internally, "Damn it, she's murdering her own husband!" He had no choice but to focus, gathering all his source energy into his arms to collide with Tang Ruoxian's overwhelming palm strike.

*Whoosh!*

Li Xuan’s palm force vanished like a stone in the ocean.

Tang Ruoxian’s powerful strike continued forward, slamming heavily into Li Xuan’s chest.

*Boom!*

Li Xuan was sent sliding back several meters, carving furrows into the ground. He clutched his chest, his face deathly pale.

Tang Ruoxian drifted toward him, asking coldly, "Are you dead yet?"

Li Xuan shook his head, still acting brazenly: "Are you trying to murder your own husband? You used so much force!"

Tang Ruoxian trembled with rage. She kicked toward his groin, but Li Xuan lunged like a tiger, grabbing her leg firmly and using the momentum to roll and pin her to the ground.

Tang Ruoxian kicked him in the back of the head, cursing, "Shameless!"

Once Li Xuan had the upper hand, he naturally didn't let go. The two engaged in close-quarters combat, trading punches and kicks in a tangle of limbs.

However, since there was a major realm difference, Li Xuan soon fell behind, his face and neck covered in scratches.

Tang Ruoxian stepped on his chest, furious. "Do you yield?"

Li Xuan spat out a mouthful of blood, flipped over, and grabbed Tang Ruoxian tightly from behind, shouting, "My cultivation is inferior, so I'm following Instructor Mo Xi'er's orders to fight tooth and nail!"

Tang Ruoxian’s face flushed with shame. Being held like this by a man in public was a supreme humiliation. She screamed, "Li Xuan, you animal, let me go!"

Having gained the advantage, Li Xuan’s arms were like iron hoops, holding her fast despite her frantic attacks.

Li Xuan’s source energy was in chaos, and he coughed up more blood. "Even if you beat me to death, I won't let go! You vicious woman, I’m going to make sure you bear the weight of eternal infamy!"

His implication was clear: even if he died, he would drag her down with him.

Li Xuan wasn't just being reckless. He felt a warm sensation within his body—it was the "Green Pouch Scroll" automatically protecting him and repairing his internal injuries.

With this, he felt emboldened. Besides, this was a training drill; even if someone questioned it later, he could make excuses.

Suddenly, Tang Ruoxian’s eyes turned fierce. A murderous aura enveloped her, and she slammed her palm into Li Xuan’s waist, the surging force blowing him away.

"Li Xuan, you forced my hand! Don't blame me for being heartless!"

Her eyes were now blood-red, and her body was shrouded in a mysterious energy, the immortal mist lifting her into the air.

The crowd was horrified. Even Instructor Mo Xi'er sensed the danger and shouted, "Tang Ruoxian, stop!"

But Tang Ruoxian had lost control, her source energy venting wildly. Mo Xi'er wanted to intervene, but feared hurting her. If Tang Ruoxian didn't vent that power, her meridians would reverse, and her bloodline would wither.

"Li Xuan, run!"

Jiang Qingyue immediately recognized it: the Tang family’s forbidden art—the Mysterious Maiden’s Heaven-Defying Technique.

It was considered a forbidden art because it supposedly belonged to a Tang ancestor and could only be practiced by her; otherwise, one would easily fall into demonic cultivation.

Yet, when Tang Ruoxian was born, the technique chose her, and she displayed the same brilliance as their ancestor, which was why the Tang family pampered her to the extreme.

Li Xuan was trapped in the vortex of that energy, the immense pressure pinning him down. Tang Ruoxian could no longer control the tyrannical power.

To survive, Li Xuan’s only chance was to help her absorb that runaway power back into her body.

"Li Xuan, you ruined my foundation, you destroyed my path—I will kill you!"

Tang Ruoxian flew at him, grabbing his throat and slamming him into the stone wall.

"Li Xuan!"

"Tang Ruoxian!"

The shouts of the crowd were drowned out by a massive explosion as stone debris flew in all directions.

Li Xuan and Tang Ruoxian were embedded deep into the cliffside. Sword energy erupted from the mountain, and the mysterious power made the entire structure tremble.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the mountain fell eerily silent. Heavy footsteps emerged from the crater.

The crowd held their breath and saw Li Xuan, his body covered in bloody holes, slowly walking out while holding Tang Ruoxian in his arms.

Jiang Qingyue rushed forward. "Li Xuan, are you alright?"

Li Xuan looked at them, spat out a mouthful of blood, handed Tang Ruoxian to Instructor Mo Xi'er, and collapsed to the ground.

"Li Xuan..."

In his fading consciousness, Li Xuan saw the anxious, caring eyes of Jiang Qingyue. But he felt so tired—he wanted to sleep, to rest, perhaps even to sleep forever.