Iris approached Pascal with a sinister smile and looked down on her.

“Poor, little sister, you were once touted as the genius of the previous generation, now look at you, reduced to this.”

Pascal’s injuries were extensive, and she didn’t reply to Iris’ provocations.

Iris walked around Pascal, amused by the way things were going. This wasn’t the first time they had done this as she had always made sure to show up her sister in the most humiliating way possible.

Though Pascal was the daughter of the sect master, she was alienated by most of the elders. Her cultivation had stagnated for years, and she was the weakest of them all. There were even a few teachers who were at her same level and above, who could easily take her place if not for her connection to the sect leader.

The elders also saw her as someone completely irrational when it came to her disciple, and it was uncertain how many truly believed the rumours which circulated around her and her disciple. She became a joke even in front of the disciples of the sect and few still gave her genuine respect.

The sect master had never once reprimanded the older sister and did not seem to extend a hand for his younger one. No one could take her seriously.

In their last bout between sisters, Pascal was forced to announce in front of everyone of her inferiority to her older sister in order for Iris to let her go. Many watched in amusement, wondering what the older sister would do this time.

“You know, I think I finally realize why you took in that useless disciple of yours,” Iris said in a voice all could hear.

“Sh-ut…up…” Pascal stared at Iris solemnly and tried to stand but ended up coughing another mouthful of blood.

She ignored her and continued: “It must’ve been a hard on you after realizing you’ll never take another step further in cultivation once you reached the Origin realm. You could only watch as all those you once left behind slowly catch up and soon pass you. The effort you put in would all be a waste.”

Ingrid began to pace around Pascal as she shook her head.

“However, you suddenly chanced upon a boy. A cripple with only one arm from a poor town in the wilder region with no discerning talent or constitution. Scared of even his shadow, you still chose to take such a useless cripple in.”

She stopped pacing and laughed as she tried to mimic Pascal’s tone mockingly: ~“Oh, what a poor boy. Even though I’m useless, this boy is even more useless than me! If I keep him around, I can feel sorry for him and pity him. I will be his master and he will follow my every command like a little puppy dog!”

In that moment, Pascal suddenly charged up and swung her sword towards Iris as she yelled. Iris simply dodged to the side before kneeing her in the stomach.

Pascal dropped back down, retching out more blood as she held her stomach.

The spectators all saw the struggles of elder Pascal and couldn’t help but feel pity for her. Once seen as a rising star, it was as if all the light had been extinguished, left only a husk of what she once was.

“…Why did you have to hurt him?”

“Hmm?”

“He barely has any cultivation and never caused you any grievances. Why did you have to hurt him? Why… why do you despise me so?”

“Oh, sweet little sister,” Iris crouched down and spoke softly, “I don’t hate you.” There was a slight pause as if she was reminiscing on a distant memory. “I remember when you were just a baby, and I would hold you in my arms. I thought we would be the best of friends. Even as kids, you would follow me every where and listen to my every word. However, as you grew up, you became more and more beautiful and with your talent, you soon surpassed me. Perhaps it was there we grew distant. A rivalry between sisters is quite common, no?”

Pascal was a little stunned to hear Iris speak so plainly. Of her earliest memories, Iris had even played with her. However, when Pascal began cultivating, everything began to change as she breezed through the realms at unparalleled speeds. From that day, the two sisters grew apart and begun their bitter saga.

Iris rose up and sighed: “Even though we are only half sisters, I was still your older sister and should’ve looked out for you.”

Pascal didn’t know what to say hearing the same words she had hoped to hear when she was younger. Those words had long since been buried but perhaps she was truly changing like their father.

“I blame myself. If I had looked out for you, perhaps you wouldn’t have made the stupid mistake of cancelling your marriage to Luk and taking in that useless cripple.”

The hope was dashed as she stared at Iris coldly.

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“Ahh, but it is too late for regrets. I wasn’t a good sister in the past but perhaps I can be a good one now.”

Iris suddenly summoned out a sword which shot towards her.

She closed her eyes but didn’t feel the penetrating metal. Instead, a cool draft touched her skin. Opening her eyes, she found her tattered clothes had fallen off, or more accurately, it was cut off, revealing her brasier.

Not only the disciples, but even the elders of the sect widened their eyes and gaped their mouths. The shocking beauty of the elder was not something many could ignore.

In a complete state of shock, she stared blankly at Iris and asked: "What are you doing?"

"I messed up your clothes, so it is only right that as your big sister, I lend you mine. However, let me first get you out of those tattered things.”

Her blade whooshed through the air once more, clipping one of the straps of the brassier. The strap fell but the brasier continued to cover just enough for one’s imagination to run wild. Pascal couldn't even cover herself as her body was being completely suppressed by Iris' cultivation. One more strap, just one more and everything would lay bare.

Once that last strap was broken, nothing would ever be the same. Pascal's status as an elder would likely go up in smokes and no one would ever view her the same. Even now, many of the disciples were recording with their recording crystal 'secretly,' and whatever images circulated would eventually make it outside of the sect as well.

"Well now, just one more cut and you will have nothing left to cover you," Iris laughed. "I have so many clothes, it may take me awhile to pick. You don't mind waiting a bit, right? The wind sure is refreshing here. It's good for the skin to air it out a bit every now and then. “

As the spectators all gulped down their saliva, Iris seemed to suddenly have a change of heart.

“Then again, perhaps we should do this in a more secluded area?” One could already hear the discontent among the crowd.

“As your older sister, I should guide my younger sister to the proper path, even if it means I have to be harsh. Ever since you took in that cripple, you have abandoned most of your duties of the sect and forsaken the path of cultivation. For that cripple, you gave up the amazing future you could have had as a daughter of the Futian family. That cripple is a leech and has no place in our world. Discard him and I’ll allow you to change in seclusion.”

The spectators all held their breath, thinking the elder would obviously choose to discard her disciple. He was the trashiest of the trash, thought to be the weakest of the weak, even behind the disciples whose main job was to keep the sect clean. Nefarious rumors have circulated around the sect since elder Pascal brought him here, lowering her status to the lowest of all elders. Now, both her dignity of an elder and as a woman was on the line. In the face of such a decision, they couldn't believe she would choose her disciple.

Yet, despite what they all thought, Pascal did not change her expression and said in the same tone she had before: "I will never abandon my disciple."

Iris' expression finally changed, her smile turning somber.

"So be it."

She waved her hand, and the sword flew forth towards the final piece which would complete Pascal's humiliation.

With no way to defend herself, she simply closed her eyes to what would happen next.

However, that moment never came and when she opened her eyes again, she could see a familiar back standing in front of her.

"R-Relic?"

Relic gave her a nod but remained fixated at Iris. Though a portion of his body had been burned to the 2nd degree, he remained steadfast. Her sword had come to a halt, just before penetrating his chest.

"Move out of the way," Iris said threateningly.

"Master, please let this go," Elaine suddenly came from the side and pleaded with her. Iris turned to her and spoke coldly: "You've already disappointed me once and let that trash have his moment. Don't disappoint me any further." Elaine stood, stunned. Her master had usually always praised her for her progress and gave her many gifts in resources. She unconsciously drew back in her steps, not knowing what to think.

Iris turned back to Relic and said: "I won't ask again. Move or die."

Pascal quickly turned frantic and tried to reassure him: "Relic, please get out of the way. You don't have to worry about me. Whatever happens, master will take care of it."

Yet, he did not move and completely disregarded her wishes. Instead, he moved his hand and in a place for all to see, he flipped her the bird.

"FUCK OFF!" He shouted as if to the heavens themselves.

The entire mountain and subsequent area went dead silent. Since the conception of the sect, no disciple had so brazenly cursed out an elder. Respect was the corner stone of all sects within the divine continent and disrespecting one's elder was basically asking for a death wish.

Iris' face darkened. In an instant, her blade penetrated his body.

"NOOO!" Pascal screamed. However, despite being penetrated by the blade Relic continued to stand tall, his expression never flickering.

"You think I don't dare penetrate into your heart, killing you instantly? The only reason you are still alive is because I still hold feeling for my sister and purposefully stopped. You can either kowtow to me now and admit your mistakes or I will really strike you where you stand!" One could hear her aggravation growing.

Hearing this, Pascal quickly turned to him and said: "Relic, this is serious. Your life is more important than the humiliation I suffered. Even if there are grievances in our heart, as long as we are alive, we can always resolve it later." It wasn't hard to see that Relic's conviction was based on the way he saw her being treated. The two were family since she first found him and there were few who could stand to watch someone close to them being bullied.

However, he would once again ignore her requests.

Realizing she wouldn't get through to him, Pascal tried to plead to her sister: "Iris, I'll admit my fault and whatever you want. Please, don't do anything more to him!"

Before Iris could even respond, Relic finally spoke out: "Master... do you see me as a burden?"

"What are you asking right now?!" She didn't understand why he would ask such a question now of all times.

"I was an orphan when master took me in, afraid of everything and everyone. I don't even remember who my family was. But master, you took me in, cared for me, and even protected me from others who tried to bully me. You risked your status to stay with me and even when others began to whisper, you ignored them. You have given so much to me that I can never repay it. I'm neither strong or talented in cultivation and have only my life to offer. That's why, if master seeks to grovel to others, to allow herself to be taken advantage of because of me, then that means my life has become a burden and have brought you harm. If so, then, master, I'm sorry. I would rather die than to ever bring you disgrace!"

He suddenly walked forward, plunging the blade deeper into his body.