Seeing that she had stopped, Mu Zhi’an’s spirits lifted. He knew she was just being tsundere and still cared about him. He said earnestly, “The Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy is unique. You’re the only one who can truly benefit from it, Lingxuan. Everything I did tonight… was for you.”


    “What about the fragrant balm?” Ye Lingxuan asked, glancing at him coldly.


    Mu Zhi’an paused, then chuckled and shook his head. “Senior Sister has taken care of me in the past, so…”


    “So you gave her fragrant balm?” Her tone was still cold.


    Mu Zhi’an was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I wasn’t planning to tell you so soon.”


    He looked down at her and said softly, “I was planning to give you a unique fragrant balm… It was supposed to be a surprise.”


    Ye Lingxuan clearly didn’t believe him. “You’re good at lying, Brother Mu,” she said, pouting slightly.


    “I’m sure you’ve said that to many others, Brother Mu,” she said, her eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and playfulness.


    However, her pouting only made her more adorable.


    “You’ve probably said that to more than one person, haven’t you?”


    This Mu Zhi’an was truly infuriating, so fickle… yet, she couldn’t bring herself to be angry with him.


    Ye Lingxuan’s feelings for him were a mix of love and hate. She gritted her teeth, the Desolate Time Lock within her sleeve stirring restlessly, as if ready to drag him back to the Forbidden Zone.


    Mu Zhi’an raised his hand and swore, “I can swear to the heavens that I’ve only promised a surprise to you, Lingxuan.”


    The Great Dao resonated, his oath acknowledged!


    Ye Lingxuan quickly covered his mouth, looking up at him. “Don’t do that, Brother Mu! What if you’re struck by lightning…?”


    Mu Zhi’an gently took her hand, his gaze tender as he looked down at her. “As long as it makes you happy, it’s worth it,” he said softly.


    Under his intense gaze, Ye Lingxuan pursed her lips, her voice softening. “I… believe you…” she murmured.


    As he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, Ye Lingxuan’s heart pounded with a mix of shyness and anticipation. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. “Are you going back tonight, Brother Mu?”


    Mu Zhi’an understood her intentions and kissed her cheek. “I’ll go back with you tonight.”


    Ye Lingxuan gently pushed him away. “Don’t do that. We’re outside… What if someone sees us…?”


    “So it’s okay if we’re back in your room?” Mu Zhi’an teased.


    He looked at her, her beautiful face flushed with a faint blush, and gently lifted her chin, wanting to savor her lips before they returned.


    Suddenly, Ye Lingxuan turned her head, as if sensing something, her gaze fixed on the immortal path.


    Within the fading light of the path, a graceful figure seemed to be descending.


    The figure vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed. Sёar?h the N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Ye Lingxuan’s eyes flickered with suspicion.


    She felt that she had seen this woman somewhere before…


    At the same time, Mu Zhi’an also sensed something amiss and looked up.


    Like Ye Lingxuan, his eyes were filled with curiosity.


    Although he knew there were ascended beings in the Heavenly Court, it was strange for someone to descend just as the immortal path was disappearing…


    …


    Night fell, and winter’s chill deepened.


    Deep within the Jade Glass Palace, on the northern bank, a young man in a black robe slowly opened his eyes, awakening from his meditation.


    The room was silent.


    This wasn’t surprising. With the appearance of the immortal path, the cultivators in the Jade Glass Palace had all gone to see it.


    In the past, Ye Yu would have rushed over to seek this opportunity.


    However, he was unusually calm tonight, not even leaving his room.


    It wasn’t that he had given up on immortality, but he knew this wasn’t the right path for him.


    His chance hadn’t arrived yet.


    “You’re much calmer and more composed than before. Good,” the old man within him said, his voice filled with approval.


    “You said it yourself, Master. This isn’t the right time to ascend the immortal path. Therefore, there’s no need for me to get involved. Focusing on my cultivation is more important,” Ye Yu replied calmly.


    The old man chuckled. “You’re right. With your dedication to cultivation, your future is limitless. As for that Mu Zhi’an… you can ignore him for now. After all, you’ll inevitably encounter him in the Ascension Ceremony, unless he’s defeated or forfeits.”


    “However, knowing him, although he’s cunning and resourceful, he’s also proud. He’s representing the Book Pavilion. He won’t forfeit.”


    “And that’s your opportunity.”


    Mu Zhi’an… Ye Yu clenched his fists, his eyes filled with excitement.


    His master was right. Mu Zhi’an was representing the Book Pavilion. He wouldn’t forfeit. As long as he kept winning, he would eventually face Mu Zhi’an.


    And then…


    ‘Accidents’ happened in every Ascension Ceremony. As long as he encountered Mu Zhi’an, he could crush him utterly before Bai Ruoxi and the others, proving how wrong they were about him!


    Thinking of this, Ye Yu couldn’t contain his excitement.


    But he had to remain calm and not let his emotions cloud his judgment… He was about to close his eyes when the old man within him suddenly exclaimed in surprise.


    Before Ye Yu could ask what was wrong, he noticed a woman standing in his room.


    She was shrouded in a faint light, her features and even her face indistinct, yet she exuded an aura of flawless perfection.


    Ye Yu immediately stood up, his eyes wide with alarm.


    The woman observed him for a moment, then chuckled. “I see… so you’re a descendant of the Ye family.”


    His talent seemed quite good. He was already at the third-grade Core Formation Realm at such a young age, and he even possessed Heavenly Dao Energy…


    “Who are you?!” Ye Yu demanded.


    The woman glanced at him and chuckled softly. “The old man inside you should know who I am.”


    Ye Yu’s eyes widened in shock.


    She knew about the soul fragment within his body?!


    At that moment, a shadowy figure materialized in the room. He looked at the woman with cloudy eyes and said, “Ye Qingxin, I thought you had ascended to the Immortal Realm. Why are you here?”


    Ye Qingxin…?


    Ye Yu was stunned for a moment, then, as if realizing something, he looked up abruptly. “Ye Qingxin… you’re one of the Ye family’s ancestors, the one who ascended to the Immortal Realm?!”


    “I didn’t expect anyone to remember me after all this time,” Ye Qingxin chuckled softly, observing Ye Yu. “Your talent is quite good, and your luck isn’t bad either. You even have Heavenly Dao Energy.”


    “If it weren’t for Mu Zhi’an, I would have two,” Ye Yu said, his voice filled with resentment.


    “Mu Zhi’an…?” A curious glint appeared in Ye Qingxin’s eyes.


    The immortal path rarely appeared. She had seized this opportunity to send a wisp of her consciousness down from the Heavenly Court, wanting to see how her descendants were doing and visit some old acquaintances.


    However, it seemed the Ye family wasn’t doing very well…


    “Who is Mu Zhi’an?” Ye Qingxin asked.


    Upon hearing Mu Zhi’an’s name, Ye Yu’s eyes filled with resentment as he recounted Mu Zhi’an’s past deeds, adding his own embellishments and exaggerations.


    Ye Qingxin’s eyes narrowed as she listened. “You’re saying he also deceived your two younger sisters and even stole your Heavenly Dao Energy?”


    Ye Yu nodded, his voice filled with hatred. “He’s cunning and deceitful, and now he even has the protection of Ling Long and the Jade Empress, so…”


    “Mu Zhi’an has a match tomorrow, doesn’t he? Since you’re a descendant of the Ye family, I can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Ye Qingxin said softly.


    “I’ll personally go to the Ascension Stage tomorrow and see what this Mu Zhi’an has that allows him to steal my descendants’ opportunities.”


    Ye Yu’s eyes lit up, and he bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Ancestor!”


    With this powerful being’s help, he had a much better chance of crushing Mu Zhi’an!


    After all, among the Ye family’s ancestors, the only one who had ascended to the Heavenly Court was this Dao Integration expert, Ye Qingxin.


    He hadn’t expected her to find him so quickly… Ye Yu’s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    Ye Qingxin turned her head slightly, her gaze fixed on Two Polarities Peak.


    She had seen two young cultivators there earlier. The girl in the purple dress possessed an aura similar to the Forbidden Zone’s Rebirth Pool.


    Could it be… that girl was his daughter?


    And the young man beside her… was Mu Zhi’an…?


    Ye Qingxin’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.


    …


    Jade Glass Palace, Dexin Courtyard.


    Warm candlelight illuminated the room as Ye Lingxuan walked in, her head lowered shyly, not saying a word.


    After she closed the door, Mu Zhi’an’s gaze fell upon her.


    Her figure was slender and graceful, her fair shoulders peeking out from beneath her clothes, a faint blush coloring her delicate face, giving her an innocent and charming aura. Her long, fair legs were visible beneath her light purple skirt, their smooth skin glowing in the candlelight.


    Mu Zhi’an walked towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, his chest pressing against her back.


    “Wait a moment, Brother Mu…” Ye Lingxuan suddenly said softly, stopping him.


    Then, the Desolate Time Lock silently emerged from her sleeve. She glanced at him and said, “Can you help me with a test, Brother Mu? I want to try out the Desolate Time Lock’s current abilities…”


    Mu Zhi’an was stunned. He looked at the golden chain, hesitation in his eyes.


    He had unpleasant memories of chains… He had been bound by Yao Meng’s vines in the Jade Pool’s ancestral land.


    Although the experience had been… pleasurable, the feeling of being restrained wasn’t very comfortable.


    However, seeing Ye Lingxuan’s delicate and vulnerable appearance, he couldn’t refuse.


    “Alright… as you wish.”


    A mischievous glint flickered in Ye Lingxuan’s eyes. “You’re so kind, Brother Mu~” she said sweetly.


    This girl must have been learning from Bai Ruoxi. She never used to act so coy, but now she knew how to ‘manage her husband’.


    The Desolate Time Lock bound Mu Zhi’an, and Ye Lingxuan led him to the bed, gently pushing him down.


    Just as he was anticipating her next move, she took out a handkerchief and blindfolded him.


    Mu Zhi’an’s heart skipped a beat. “Lingxuan… isn’t this a bit… much?” he asked nervously.


    He finally realized something was wrong.


    Ye Lingxuan looked down at him, her hands behind her back, and smiled sweetly. “Didn’t you promise to do whatever I wanted tonight, Brother Mu?”


    I didn’t know you would tie me up with the Desolate Time Lock… Mu Zhi’an said weakly, “At least, don’t blindfold me…”


    Ye Lingxuan nodded slightly. “I know. I’ll remove it later. Don’t worry,” she said softly, her eyes flickering.


    “Wait here for a moment, Brother Mu. I’m going to take a bath…”


    Then, before he could respond, she turned and left the room.


    She hesitated for a moment outside, then walked towards another room and knocked gently on the door.


    “Qian’er, are you there…?”