Mao Jing's eyes widened in disbelief as she instinctively reached out her hand and accepted the pill bottle, staring at the small pill inside it with a stunned look on her wrinkled face.
At the same time, both Sun Wen and the Grand Elder seemed to have realized what was going on, as they both let out defeated sighs and shook their heads soon after.
How could they not understand that with this action, Xingyi was cutting off the ties between a disciple and her master?
It was clear that after this, Xingyi wasn't going to recognize Mao Jing as her master any longer.
Mao Jing stared at the pill in front of her without saying anything, almost as if she had fallen in a trance.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, Mao Jing raised her head and stared at Xingyi before she asked in a furious voice
''Xingyi, what is the meaning of this??''
Cupping her hands, Xingyi bowed deeply once again before she said
''Master, this is a rank 5 'Barrier-piercing pill', just like the one that you gave me as a gift when you accepted me as your disciple.
Actually, it's not really the same since this is a top-grade rank 5 pill while the one that you gave me was only a middle-grade pill.
Regardless, after giving you back your welcoming gift, I hope that master… no, Elder Mao Jing can understand, that we will no longer be master and disciple.''
Mao Jing's eyes started brimming with killing intent as she stared at the pill bottle in her hands in silence, before she turned her gaze towards Xingyi and started laughing, as she said in a frosty manner
''You want to cut our ties by giving me back my welcoming gift? How laughable! As your master, it is my right to order you to follow me!
You want to cut off our ties simply because I refused your request? Very well!
I must have been blind to accept you as my disciple in the first place! A disciple like you is simply unfit to remain in the Holy sect as well!''
All of a sudden, Mao Jing took a step forward and stretched out her right hand, as her fingers curled together, turning into claws that headed straight towards Xingyi's abdomen.
Jiang Chen's, Liu Mei's, and Bai Longtian's expressions all changed when they saw this scene.
''MAO JING! STEP BACK!''
At the same time, the Grand Elder shouted angrily when he noticed Mao Jing's actions, as he hurriedly waved both of his hands while his cultivation at the peak of rank 9 in the Dao Emperor realm exploded outwards!
At that moment, the entire 'Southern Dragon's courtyard' seemed to have dropped by quite a few degrees in temperature, as a frosty aura radiated from the Grand Elder's body heading straight towards Mao Jing.
Naturally, how could the Grand Elder not realize that Mao Jing's strike was aiming to strike Xingyi's dantian and directly cripple it?
Unfortunately, although the Grand Elder was standing just a few meters away from Mao Jing, he actually hadn't expected that Mao Jing would suddenly attack Xingyi and that she would even try to cripple her, catching him completely off-guard.
Although the difference in their cultivation was big, since the Grand Elder wasn't prepared, he didn't have enough time to protect Xingyi in time and block Mao Jing's attack.
At that moment however, the figure of a tall middle-aged man with long black hair seemed to have appeared in front of Xingyi like a blur, as he effortlessly blocked Mao Jing's attack with a single hand.
''You…''
Mao Jing stared at Jiang Tianfang's figure in front of her in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend how he could have reacted so quickly, that he managed to cover the distance between them and even managed to block her strike before it could land.
Jiang Tianfang stared at Mao Jing with a look of unconcealed killing intent, before he said in a cold voice
''You dare to try and attack someone while you are in my presence? You old hag, who do you think you are?''
At that moment, Jiang Tianfang's aura of an early rank 9 Dao Emperor exploded outwards, suppressing Mao Jing so heavily that she actually started to tremble as she tried hard to step back.
Although Jiang Tianfang's cultivation was slightly lower than the Grand Elder's, he had been prepared to move from the moment that Xingyi started approaching Mao Jing, which was why he could block Mao Jing's attack in time and prevent it from striking Xingyi's dantian.
At that moment however, Mao Jing suddenly noticed that although she had just tried to step back, Jiang Tianfang's grasp on her right hand was actually so firm that she was unable to move even a single step.
Raising her head, her gaze then met with Jiang Tianfang's cold gaze that was brimming with killing intent, before the handsome middle-aged man in front of her opened his mouth and said coldly
''Since you don't seem to know what's good for you, let me teach you some manners!''
The moment that he finished speaking, Jiang Tianfang suddenly clenched his right hand tightly while his eyes stared mercilessly at Mao Jing's terrified eyes.
''AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!''
A blood-curdling scream escaped Mao Jing's mouth, as warm crimson blood started spurting from her wrist without stop. Lowering her head, Mao Jing looked at her own hand that seemed to have been severed from her body with a look of disbelief on her face.
''Jiang Tianfang… you!'' Sun Wen stared at Jiang Tianfang with an angry look on his face, before he turned his attention towards the Grand Elder who was standing in front of him.
No matter what, Jiang Tianfang had just attacked an inner court Elder of the Holy sect in his presence, so there was no way that the Grand Elder would let this matter go.
And yet, to Sun Wen's surprise, the Grand Elder merely glanced at the severed hand in Jiang Tianfang's grasp with a deep look in his eyes, before he suddenly turned around and walked towards the gates of the 'Southern Dragon's courtyard', before his deep voice reverberated throughout the entire courtyard soon after
''Sun Wen, bring Mao Jing with you. We are leaving the city right now!''
As he finished speaking, the Grand Elder's figure suddenly disappeared from the courtyard, leaving behind both Sun Wen and Mao Jing, who stared at his disappearing back in shock.
