Huangfu Xin'er hastily said, "Master, you can't..." Huasang put up a hand to stop her from speaking. "How about it? Can you do it?"

When Huashang met Huangfu Xin'er three months ago, the latter told her everything about her past with Xiao Chen. She empathized with the girl and started doting on her. How could she not guess what was going on after seeing the strange looks on them both?

Xiao Chen never thought that Huashang would ask him to marry Huangfu Xin'er. He took a step forward and saluted her. "I'm sorry for not being able to agree with your condition."

Even though Huangfu Xin'er had expected this answer, she still felt a stab of pain after hearing what he said. Huashang's gaze turned icy as she said, "Your reason."

Xiao Chen took a deep breath. "Cultivators ought to be at peace with themselves. Before the calamity befalling the East Continent is over..." Without waiting for him to finish, Huashang burst into laughter. "That's right! That was what he said in the past! But what about later? Was he able to be at peace with himself?"

The more she talked about the past, the more demonic Huashang's expression became. Suddenly, she attacked Xiao Chen with her palm. Not only was this attack terribly strong and fierce, but it was also as quick as lightning. The entire hall shuddered from the force of the attack. Xiao Chen took the hit on his chest. The attack forced him to take a step backward and blood trailed from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Xiao!" Li Muxue turned pale with fright and hastily reached out to support him. Xiao Chen put up a hand to indicate for her not to worry as he was fine.

The disciples inside the hall were astonished that he was still intact after taking one of their master's palm attacks at such a close range. Huangfu Xin'er started looking wretched a long time ago. Huashang said coolly, "Why aren't you dodging or blocking my attack?"

Xiao Chen wiped the bloodstain on the corner of his mouth and chuckled. "It was my words that offended you earlier, Senior. Naturally, I'm willing to endure your attack."

Huashang raised her head and laughed. "You're just a Foundation Building Realm cultivator and yet you dream of blocking my attack? You must be saying that to save face." She snorted and said, "Then have you reconsidered now?"

"I'm standing by my words. I can't agree with your condition," Xiao Chen answered calmly. Even though he looked composed, he was struggling in his mind. Undoubtedly, he was humiliating Huangfu Xin'er by saying such things in front of so many people. He thought to himself, "I'm sorry, Xin'er. If I agree, not only will I be forcing you, but I'll also be hurting Muxue."

Huashang's gaze turned increasingly cold and she began emanating a faint murderous aura. Huangfu Xin'er wore a distressed smile as tears spilled from her eyes. She ran into the rear of the hall. Huashang hastily called for her, "Xin'er!" She sighed before turning to glare at Xiao Chen. "Kid, did you think my disciple isn't worthy of you?"

Xiao Chen shook his head. "That's not the case." He walked to Li Muxue's side and flashed a small smile at her. "Muxue and I have known each other for a long time. Even though we're not yet married, we made a pact to grow old together. That's why I have no choice but to turn down your kind intentions."

He was smiling at Li Muxue the whole time he spoke, his gaze carrying intense gentleness. He intended to utterly destroy Huasang's intention. It was only after Huangfu Xin'er had left that he dared to say these words. What he didn't know was that Huangfu Xin'er didn't leave. She stayed in the back of the hall and heard everything that he said.

Right then, Huangfu Xin'er looked absolutely terrifying. A strange glint flitted across her pupils and her nails abruptly grew by three inches. She violently scratched the stone wall, leaving behind five frighteningly deep dents.

"Xiao Chen..."

On the platform, Huashang sneered. "You had a prior engagement but you broke your promise for another person..."

Xiao Chen took a deep breath. While it was true that he was engaged to Huangfu Xin'er, the Huangfu family sent someone to demand that he break it off. Too many things happened afterward, causing Huangfu Xin'er and him to move further away from each other. They could no longer return to the past.

There was nothing more that he could explain. "I've said all that I can say. I ask that you stop making things difficult for me, Senior."

Huashang sneered. "Make things difficult for you? Did you think I wouldn't dare to kill you?!" A murderous aura instantly filled the hall, causing the disciples inside to shudder.

Xiao Chen took a step forward and said placidly, "I think it won't be easy for you to kill me."

Everyone in the hall gasped after hearing his words. Huashang's eyes turned icy. "What did you say?"

"I said, you won't be able to kill me. Why don't I take three of your palm attacks? If I'm still alive by the end of it, will you return to the Jade Qing Sect with me?"

Li Muxue's expression changed. "You can't, Brother Xiao!" Xiao Chen smiled, indicating her not to worry. He then addressed Huashang and said, "What do you think?"

"Very well, kid! It's you who has a death wis.h.!.+" Huashang sneered. She thrust her left hand and a great and majestic power surged toward Xiao Chen. Everyone inside the hall instantly went pale. The force behind this palm attack was enough to exterminate any Foundation Building Realm cultivator.

However, something unexpected occurred. When the palm attack hit Xiao Chen, it did him no harm as if it was a stone sinking in the sea without a trace. No one knew what was going on. Li Muxue was the only one whose face had turned as white as a sheet of paper.

Xiao Chen smiled. "Your attack is astonis.h.i.+ng indeed but I've told you that you're not able to kill me."

Huashang's palm attack didn't actually land on his body. Otherwise, how could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator like him take it? In fact, he unleashed the mental techniques of the Yaoguang School in its entirety and moved his physical body away at the instant the attack landed. He used a mirage to take the hit before restoring the position of his physical body. The s.h.i.+ft of his body happened so instantaneously that Huashang, as strong as she was, wouldn't notice unless she took a close look.

However, this technique could only be employed in the current situation. It was hundred times more challenging to pull this off flawlessly in a battle.

Huashang's expression steeled, thinking that there was no way this kid with strange techniques would be Qingfeng's disciple. She smiled coldly. "You're pretty capable but still far beneath me!" Before she finished her sentence, she stood up and manipulated her True Energy with both arms. Suddenly, a shadowy palm print appeared in the void.

Quite a few disciples cried out in fear, "Void Heartless Seal!" This Hollow Heartless Seal was one of the cultivation methods recorded in the Heartless Mystic Sword manual. Cultivators must cut off all of his or her emotions when using this palm attack in order to unleash its true power. They once witnessed with their own eyes how Huashang used this attack to kill three late-stage Core Forming Realm cultivators.

Xiao Chen was startled. Not only was this palm attack immensely powerful, but it was solely aimed at his Soul. It was impossible for him to get away from this attack the way he did earlier. Desperately activating his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, he spread out his arms and rapidly poured the True Energy inside him outward. Gale started raging inside the hall.

Everyone was astounded. If he wanted to block the palm attack, he should make sure his True Qi was flowing throughout his body. Why was he discharging his True Energy instead? Wouldn't he be digging his own grave instead?

Something unexpected happened once again. After the True Qi inside Xiao Chen poured out, his body acted like a sponge. The moment Huashang's powerful attack landed on him, he rapidly used one of the techniques of the Mystic Cyan arts, "Rivers Flowing into the Sea" and absorbed the force of the palm into his body.

The Heartless Palace disciples had long become dumbstruck. They never thought that this man would possess such mysterious cultivation methods. Moments later, when the gale inside hall died down, Xiao Chen smiled. "Even though your cultivation method is marvelous, you've stayed far too long inside this valley to realize that there are even more profound cultivation methods in the world outside."

Huashang sighed, looking as if she was sorrowful. Then, she said, "Forget it. It has been decades. I, Huashang, am no match for even a kid of the younger generation. I think there's no need for the third palm attack..."

Li Muxue finally relaxed after hearing her words. Xiao Chen smiled and saluted Huashang. "Then I thank you for your leniency..." Before he finished his words, he realized that something was off but it was already too late for him to use his skills.

Huashang's figure went out of focus. With lightning-fast speed, she instantly reappeared in front of Xiao Chen and struck him with 13 consecutive times with her finger. Only then did Xiao Chen understand that she was lying earlier to make him lower his guard. He couldn't help resenting himself. How could he trust the words of such an erratic person?

"Haha! I did it!" Huashang laughed heartily and retreated. She once again launched another palm attack. By now, the flowing of True Qi inside Xiao Chen's body had come to a standstill. He abruptly thrust his palm, colliding his with hers. The force caused the entire hall to shake and sent many disciples flying.

Xiao Chen took several steps backward before swiftly regaining his footing. He knew something was wrong because her attack this time wasn't that strong. In fact, its power wasn't even one-tenth of her first attack. Could she be luring him to launch his own palm attack? The 13 finger-attacks that she landed on him earlier didn't hurt him in the slightest. What exactly was she trying to do?