Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 136

An Zizai brushed off his sleeve and scolded, “Look at you now, is there any trace of a decent child in you? You dare joke about your father?”

“Nonsense, I’m serious, Dad!” An Miaoyi pouted, sulking, “Anyway, if you’re so fond of that guy Chen, just be with him. Afterward, I’ll burn paper for mom and tell her you’ve found a new partner.”

Seeing his daughter lose all sense, An Zizai trembled in anger, his finger shaking as he pointed, “You, you…”

“Cough, cough!”

Suddenly, An Zizai broke into a violent cough, his face growing even paler, dark blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

“Dad, what’s wrong?!” An Miaoyi gasped and rushed over to support him, worry etched on her face.

“Don’t worry about me, it’s nothing.”

An Zizai tried to cycle his energy to suppress the lurking poison, speaking with a bitter tone.

A few months ago, Gonge Prefecture was invaded by the three top powers of the night race, dark race, and shadow race, skilled in assassination. They appeared and disappeared like ghosts, targeting the powerful among the human race. Many Tribulation Stage cultivators fell victim, and countless Great Ascension practitioners lost their lives, plunging local sects and empires into panic.

As the strongest force in Gonge, Wendaozong was naturally targeted, and as the sect master, he nearly died in an elaborate ambush. Though he luckily survived, he was struck with a strange poison that keeps recurring and is difficult to eliminate, even a few Tribulation Stage members working together couldn’t break it.

An Zizai felt both furious and helpless about this.

With the world in chaos, the only thing he was truly concerned about was his beloved daughter, hoping she could find a reliable support to protect her in these troubled times.

But who knew, his daughter was so stubborn that she refused to associate with that Commander Chen, causing him immense worry as a father.

“Miaoyi, let me explain, the situation is getting worse. You should think about your future. Commander Chen of the Eastern Domain coalition is young and accomplished. With his status as the Saint Son in Yuhua Sect and being a Tribulation Stage expert at such a young age, he is destined to become the next sect master.”

“Moreover, I believe it’s only a matter of time before he becomes an Immortal. He possesses the qualities of a great sage, destined to carve a path through adversity.”

An Zizai spoke earnestly, his tone softening with some pleading, “Miaoyi, I promised your mother to protect you in this life, but now, my health is failing, and I’m being watched by those Alien Races. If something happens to me, who will protect you? Just listen to your father.”

“Dad…”

An Miaoyi’s eyes were red, her voice choked.

Even she, with her headstrong nature, found it hard to resist this emotional appeal—after all, ever since her mother’s passing, her father had been the one who cared for her the most, and she understood his good intentions.

But did she really have to forsake her dignity to be with someone she didn’t like?

An Miaoyi felt sad. Before all this happened, she thought the sky was high and the world colorful.

But now, even her once-mighty father seemed powerless in this chaos, humbled, and how small did that make her feel, who had always been sheltered?

“Dad, I really can’t do it. It’s just not in my nature. I’m still young, with so much room to grow. Please give me some more time!” An Miaoyi clenched her fists, gritting her teeth.

Watching his stubborn daughter, An Zizai felt lost, as if he could faintly see her mother’s figure, who had also been this strong-willed. An Zizai’s nose turned sour, shaking his head, “There’s no time. This is an unprecedented upheaval; the fate of the entire Eastern Domain is uncertain. The situation is developing rapidly, and I’m afraid that before you even have the chance to grow up, it might…”

Just then, a deep, magnetic voice rang out, “Sect Master, Commander Chen requests an audience.”

Fan Dezhen stepped forward and reported respectfully.

He glanced at An Miaoyi, whose eyes were red, and sighed inwardly, knowing full well what had transpired.

“Quickly, invite Commander Chen in.”

“Dad, I’ll be going now.”

“Stop!”

An Zizai’s expression turned stern, his tone leaving no room for argument, “You’re not going anywhere. Stay right here!”

“You!” An Miaoyi growled, stomping her foot in anger.

“Sect Master An, I’ve just discussed countermeasures with your elders. As long as I’m here, I’ll ensure we capture all the Alien Races that offend us in the future.”

The speaker was a handsome young man clad in magnificent golden armor with a red cape, his bearing exuding confidence and determination.

“Commander Chen, I had something to attend to earlier; please forgive me.” An Zizai smiled warmly at the recently popular young man.

“Sect Master An, you don’t need to be so formal.”

Chen Xiao replied seriously, “By the way, how’s your health? If you aren’t getting better, I can ask the Yuhua Sect for some medicinal herbs to help treat your injuries and detox.”

After all, news about the sect master of Wendaozong being assassinated and poisoned had already spread like wildfire; there was no way to hide it.

“If that’s possible, I would be extremely grateful.” An Zizai’s face brightened, and he clasped his hands in thanks.

The more he looked at Chen Xiao, the more he liked him. Truly a blend of strength and character, no wonder he was recognized as the leader of the righteous path among the younger generation of the Eastern Domain!

“Glad to help.”

Chen Xiao smiled, secretly thinking: “Old man, you really are overthinking it. You think I’ll give you those medicinal herbs to prolong your life? The sooner you’re gone, the sooner you’ll be reborn!”

Not to mention whether the Yuhua Sect has those ancient herbs to cure your poison. Even if they did, they wouldn’t just hand them over.

What he just said was merely conventional politeness.

“This is my daughter Miaoyi; you’ve met her before. She highly admires Commander Chen’s character. I wonder if you have time to share your heroic stories with her?” An Zizai laughed, clearly trying to play matchmaker.

“Dad…” An Miaoyi felt a strong aversion, gritting her teeth.

“Sweetheart, don’t be shy,” An Zizai said with a smile, emphasizing each word!

Chen Xiao became serious, “Since Miss An is interested, I shall gladly share.”

Inside, he was secretly pleased. Upon arriving at Wendaozong, many female disciples had been sending him affectionate glances, even the charming female elders hinted at their feelings.

But who was he, Chen Xiao? How could those women catch his eye?

Now, even the daughter of the Wendaozong sect master was drawn to his charm. Chen Xiao couldn’t help feeling elated.

Wendaozong was one of the ten great sects, with profound foundations. If he could bring this girl into his harem, Wendaozong would be his reservoir of resources. Holding such a powerful force, once he became the sect master of Yuhua Sect, who would dare disobey him?

“Suddenly, I remember I have something to attend to. I’ll take my leave first, enjoy your chat!” An Zizai attempted to flee.

“Sect Master An, take care.” Chen Xiao replied courteously.

In the end, only the two of them remained in the garden.

Chen Xiao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture upright like a spear. With his reputation and status, even without saying anything, many women would come to flirt and seek his favor.

At this moment, Chen Xiao was confident, waiting for the young lady of Wendaozong to come and shower him with affection.

Given the current precarious situation, any smart woman would seek the protection of a strong man, discarding their pride, bending down, and forcing a smile.

Moreover, now that her father was injured and in a precarious position, the daughter would surely need to lean on him to maintain her standing.

Thus, it was clear to Chen Xiao that An Zizai was trying to play matchmaker.

“Come on now, don’t be shy! Just make me comfortable, and I’d be more than willing to help you out. Right now, I’m the only one who can save your An family!”

Chen Xiao thought to himself.

As a result…

He waited for almost half a minute, yet there was no response.

Chen Xiao felt a bit dazed. What was up with this girl?

Why wasn’t she coming to flatter him?

I’m the commander of the righteous coalition, blessed with the sun’s immortal body, and a revered saint of Yuhua Sect—how could you possibly ignore me?

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Chen Xiao sneaked a glance and was instantly dumbfounded.

He saw An Miaoyi turned away, busily fiddling with the flowers and plants, completely ignoring him.

Chen Xiao was a bit furious.

What does this mean?

A bunch of thoughts flashed through his mind, but Chen Xiao slowly calmed down, curling the corners of his mouth into a devilish smile.

Oh, so we’re playing hard to get, huh?

Interesting!

Since you want to be coy, I’ll take the initiative!