Chapter 6 "Faded Glory"

"Hehe, you're nothing but a useless piece of trash, how could you ever hope to achieve anything miraculous?"

"W...what...what did you just say?!" Jiang Tian's expression shifted drastically, his brows furrowing in disbelief.

This sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard.

Jiang Man's smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a glint of cold determination in her eyes!

"I said, you're just a useless piece of trash!" With a sharp exclamation, Jiang Man raised her hand, sweeping it towards Jiang Tian's neck.

Swish!

In a sudden blur, a chilling glint sliced through the air, aimed straight at Jiang Tian.

Caught off guard, Jiang Tian's senses sharpened, and he instinctively leaned back, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.

With a resounding crack, the sturdy rosewood seat beneath him shattered, propelling Jiang Tian like a human projectile, crashing forcefully into the wall behind him.

Curses erupted from Jiang Man as frustration clouded her expression, her voice dripping with anger and disappointment.

She had been certain that this move would devastate Jiang Tian, leaving him severely injured if not dead, rendering him completely incapacitated.

But she never anticipated that Jiang Tian, despite enduring relentless assaults, would react swiftly under her allure, evading her thunderous strike with astonishing agility!

"It's inconceivable! Unless he's activated his bloodline spirituality and ascended to the Spirit Building Realm!" Jiang Man's eyes flickered with a mix of disbelief and determination. Without waiting for Jiang Tian to regain his footing, her delicate figure surged forward once more, pressing the attack with renewed fervor.

Swoosh!

She rode in on a gust of wind, swiftly closing in on Jiang Tian, who struggled to find his footing.

In that fleeting moment, Jiang Tian evaded with all his might, unleashing his full strength. The impact was substantial, leaving him feeling disoriented.

Yet, as the impending threat of her attack loomed closer, he had no choice but to muster his defenses.

Jiang Man's talents were formidable, her cultivation reaching the pinnacle of the Body Refining Realm. Among the Jiang family's youth, she stood out as one of the best. Given the opportunity, the repercussions could be catastrophic.

Jiang Tian erupted in fury, shattering the wooden table beside him before rolling away and swiftly rising to his feet.

"Why?" His voice thundered with anger, his expression turning ice-cold.

Burning with indignation, he couldn't fathom why the Jiang family would resort to such ruthless measures just because his talent wasn't up to par to activate the bloodline spirituality.

Even Jiang Man, once like a sister to him, now seemed merciless and cold-hearted. Did she truly intend to drive him to his demise?

"Huh! Just a useless waste of space, I won't waste my breath on you!" Jiang Man spat out, charging forward once more with determination blazing in her eyes.

Employing the Bloodline l "Weak Willow Body Technique" of the Jiang family, she moved with the grace of a dancer, effortlessly navigating the confined space to close in on Jiang Tian.

A flash of cold light streaked through the air like lightning!

Jiang Tian's head narrowly dodged the fatal blow, but his earlobe was grazed, leaving a stinging wound. A solitary strand of hair, severed by the icy blade, danced gracefully to the ground, a silent witness to the intensity of the clash.

At this juncture, all hope had abandoned him!

Jiang Man's intent to strike him was unmistakable. Had his evasion been even slightly delayed, he would have been gravely injured if not slain.

"This is outrageous!" Jiang Tian erupted in a torrent of fury, his demeanor akin to a raging beast, emanating a palpable aura of menace.

Observing this, Jiang Man recoiled in shock. Despite considering capitalizing on the moment to launch an attack, she instinctively retreated to the side, clutching the severed strand of hair.

"Yes! Even though I couldn't deal a decisive blow, my goal has been achieved!" Jiang Man nodded with a satisfied smirk, feeling a surge of triumph in her heart as she looked at her brother.

Jiang Tian's eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and anger, his gaze piercing through Jiang Man like icy daggers, sending shivers down her spine.

"Why is this happening? Is it just because I can't unlock our bloodline's potential?" Jiang Tian's voice rang out sharply, his tone laced with a sense of betrayal and confusion.

Has the bond between siblings, nurtured over years, been shattered because of this single shortcoming?

Jiang Tian found himself utterly confounded by the unfolding events, struggling to comprehend why his failure to awaken his bloodline had such a profound impact on Jiang Man, leading her to resort to such drastic measures to harm him.

Jiang Man's sneer persisted, her gaze towards Jiang Tian icy and unforgiving, devoid of any trace of familial warmth.

"Hmph! Let me enlighten you. Jiang Yuan has made a deal with me. All I have to do is retrieve something from you, and he'll reward me with the Building Spirit Pill. Though I may not have left you severely wounded, this strand of hair will suffice!" Jiang Man's voice dripped with contempt as she taunted Jiang Tian, disdain evident in every word she uttered.

"It's the Spirit Building Pill again!" Jiang Tian's face darkened, his teeth grinding in anger and resentment.

From the very moment this cursed pill entered his life, it seemed like an omen of betrayal and despair. First, Jiang He denied him its benefits, then Ye Wuxue shattered their engagement, and now Jiang Man was tormenting him.

This pill was a bitter reminder of his shattered dreams and broken trust.

"Haha, hahahaha!" Jiang Tian's laughter rang out, a hollow echo of his inner turmoil, blending anger, betrayal, and sadness into a cacophony of emotions.

Gazing upon his commanding aura, Jiang Man's heart fluttered with a mix of awe and apprehension.

In that moment, she realized the person standing before her was no mere casualty of life's blows, but rather a resilient soul akin to the spirited prodigy of yesteryears.

However, a swift change of perspective gave way to a derisive smirk.

"Hmph! A waste is a waste, doomed to languish in mediocrity without even the spark of bloodline prowess. No amount of hard work can alter that fate!" With a disdainful sneer, Jiang Man pivoted on her heel, opting for silence over further discourse with Jiang Tian.

If people don't offend me, I won't offend them

Jiang Tian's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with cold determination.

"Think you can just leave? Not on my watch!"

With a furious shout, Jiang Tian's form blurred as he surged towards Jiang Man, a fierce wind swirling around him.

The sudden ambush from Jiang Man had caught him off guard, stirring a mix of frustration and determination within him. Despite his bloodline power still being depleted, his confidence in his strength and martial prowess remained unshaken, making confronting Jiang Man seem like child's play.

Jiang Man's expression shifted abruptly, her mind racing with urgency as she instinctively whipped her right hand backward like lightning.

A chill emanated from her cuffs as a gleaming dagger materialized, its presence ominous.

Whoosh!

The blade sliced through the air with a piercing shriek, aiming squarely for Jiang Tian's vital spot.

"Is that all you've got?" Jiang Tian sneered coldly, effortlessly halting the oncoming attack with just two fingers, his confidence bordering on arrogance.

Boom!

Jiang Tian suddenly exerted force, and the scimitar snapped with a resounding crack.

"Ah!" Jiang Man exclaimed, her right hand numbed by the immense force from the scimitar, hastily flinging the knife away.

Puff!

Jiang Tian's palm slammed into Jiang Man's back, sending her flying three yards away.

Spluttering, Jiang Man emitted a pained groan, coughing up a mouthful of blood as her complexion turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Impossible... You can't even awaken your bloodline spirituality, how could you possess such a technique?" Jiang Man's eyes widened with disbelief.

Though her strength paled in comparison to Jiang Tian's, the disparity wasn't that vast.

She had witnessed Jiang Tian's championship victory in the martial arts competition firsthand, knowing his capabilities inside and out. Even if she wasn't at her best, she couldn't have been defeated with just one move, and certainly not in such a humiliating manner.

Jiang Tian couldn't be bothered to offer further explanation. Dealing with someone like her, he saw no point in saying anything more.

"Even if I can't awaken my bloodline spirituality, I'm not some trash for you to bully!" Jiang Tian's eyes gleamed with arrogance as he spoke icily.